1.5 lakh TB patients in Maharashtra get `food basket’ support; 11k in Pune

This national initiative aims to provide nutritional support to registered tuberculosis patients under the Tuberculosis Eradication Program.

4 min readPuneFeb 24, 2026 06:45 PM IST

1.5 lakh TB patients in Maharashtra get `food basket' support; 11k in Pune AI GENERATED IMAGE

Overall 37,035 Nikshay Mitras have been registered ever since the initiative was launched in September 2022.(Image generated using Google Gemini)

In the last four years as many as 1.5 lakh TB patients have been supported with special food baskets in Maharashtra with the state health department data revealing that over 22k Nikshay Mitras have distributed nutritional food baskets from September 2022 till date.

Nikshay Mitra is a community driven initiative under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan to support TB patients by providing nutritional, diagnostic, and vocational assistance. Individuals, NGOs and corporates can adopt patients for at least six months so that the patients can also adhere to treatment and in the process reduce stigma.

Over a lakh of TB patients are willing to receive special food baskets in Maharashtra as per state health department officials who have taken up a focussed drive as part of the TB free India campaign.

The campaign will be underway till March 31 and Maharashtra health department officials have urged the district and municipal administration to adopt TB patients and provide them with consistent nutritional support.

Under the Tuberculosis Free India Campaign, the state has also called upon CSR partners, industries, and non-governmental organisations to adopt tuberculosis patients and provide them with consistent nutritional support throughout the course of their treatment.

Prakash Abitkar, State health minister at a recent meeting said that tuberculosis is a completely curable disease. “With timely diagnosis, regular treatment, and adequate nutrition, patients can fully recover,” he said while sending out the appeal to support patients undergoing treatment by contributing food grains and nutritional assistance as part of this public welfare initiative.

Overall 37,035 Nikshay Mitras have been registered ever since the initiative was launched in September 2022. A total of 5.13 lakh food baskets have been distributed. The monthly nutritional food basket contains rice, wheat flour, pulses, vegetable oil, whole milk powder and/or eggs, groundnuts or roasted grams and additional items in some cases also include micronutrients, vitamins or vegetables/fruits.

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According to data among districts and municipal corporations in the state, Pune (both municipal corporation and rural areas) tops with the highest number of TB patients being supported in the last four years. Around 11,289 TB patients in Pune have been supported with food baskets of which 6,284 are from areas under the Pune Municipal Corporation.

A total of 5,142 TB patients in the city are on treatment and another 2678 have agreed to avail food baskets. A total of 23,460 food baskets have been distributed in Pune city in the last four years among 9,974 being distributed in the district.

Dr Prashant Bothe, City TB officer ,PMC said that nearly 40 per cent of TB cases (in the country) are primarily linked to malnutrition. To address this the civic administration stepped up its food basket distribution efforts, to help improve patients’ nutritional status.

“Nutritional support along with anti-TB medication has led to an increase in treatment success rate – approximately 94% and contributing to good chances of recovery,” Bothe said. Among the major donors are the National Institute of Naturopathy, Mukul Madhav Foundation, Ammunition Factory, Khadki and several others.

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‘Citizens who experience symptoms of tuberculosis are strongly advised to seek immediate medical attention at the nearest government health facility. Early diagnosis and timely treatment are essential to ensure complete recovery and prevent the spread of the disease,” Dr Bhagwan Pawar, Deputy Director of Health Services (Pune) said.

This national initiative aims to provide nutritional support to registered tuberculosis patients under the Tuberculosis Eradication Program. A proper and balanced diet plays a crucial role during TB treatment, as it strengthens the immune system, improves treatment adherence, and enhances recovery outcomes.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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