Union Health Ministry appoints Deepa Malik as Nikshay Mitra ambassador

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Union Health Ministry designated Padma Shri, Khel Ratna Arjuna Awardee and the President of the Paralympic Committee of India Deepa Malik as Nikshay Mitra ambassador in New Delhi on November 26.

Important facts

• Nikshay Mitra is an initiative under Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan.

• Deepa Malik expressed her commitment to the TB Mukt Bharat (TB-free India) campaign, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2018.

• She participated in TB awareness activities at the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Pavilion at the 41st India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

• She further extended her support to the campaign by becoming a Ni-Kshay Mitra, an initiative launched by President Droupadi Murmu which strives to provide aid to TB-afflicted patients on three levels of nutritional, additional diagnostic, and vocational support.

• She himself has adopted 5 TB patients as Ni-Kshaya Mitra and encouraged people to enrol in this scheme.

About Ni-kshay Mitras initiative

• The initiative ensures three-pronged support includes: Nutritional, Additional diagnostic, and Vocational support. 

• This program was brought in the direction of Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan with the aim of eradicating TB by 2025.

• India has the world's highest burden of tuberculosis (TB), with an estimated 2.6 million people suffering from the disease and nearly 4 million dying from it every year.