Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes among Patients Receiving Nutritional Support under Ni-kshay Mitra Scheme in Goa

program personnel.The de-identified and anonymized dataset was then released for analysis.The dataset was stored in password-protected computers.R programming software 5 version 4.5.0 was utilized for the analysis.The patients were categorized in binary form as those who had received nutritional support and those who did not receive such support from a Ni-kshay Mitra.Treatment outcomes were categorized as successful, unsuccessful, and IntroductIonUnder the "Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan-Community Support to TB patients," a Ni-kshay Mitra is an individual, NGO, institution, political party, or a corporate providing support for a tuberculosis (TB) patient. 1 The support includes nutritional support, diagnostics, etc., in addition to what is routinely provided under the program. 2 A Ni-kshay Mitra provides a food basket to the TB patient consisting of cereals/millets, pulses, vegetable oil, milk/milk powder, eggs, etc. 3 This nutritional support is in addition to the monetary benefit for nutrition under the Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana under the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP).Tuberculosis patients who often are from a poor socioeconomic background are likely to benefit from this scheme. 4This study addressed the research question "Are TB treatment outcomes better in those receiving nutrition support to TB patients under the Ni-kshay Mitra Scheme compared to those not receiving nutrition support?" objectIves To document the impact of "the Ni-kshay Mitra Scheme" by comparing TB treatment outcomes among those who received nutrition support to those who did not receive nutrition support from a Ni-kshay Mitra in Goa. MaterIals a n d MethodsWe conducted a retrospective secondary data analysis by obtaining data from the TB notification register in Ni-kshay Portal.