IMPACT OF PATIENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS ON TREATMENT OUTCOMES AMONG TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS IN BELAGAVI, KARNATAKA

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health challenge in India, with successful treatment outcomes often influenced by multiple socio-economic factors. Patient Support Systems (PSS), such as the Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY), have been introduced under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) to address treatment adherence by offering nutritional and financial aid to TB patients. However, the actual impact of these support systems on treatment outcomes is not fully understood. This study was conducted among TB patients registered under the Urban TB Unit in Belagavi, Karnataka, to assess the association between awareness and utilisation of PSS and their treatment outcomes. Awareness and utilisation were measured using structured questionnaires and categorized into poor, average, and good levels based on scoring. The findings showed that while awareness alone was not significantly associated with treatment outcomes, higher utilisation of support systems was linked to better treatment completion rates. This highlights the importance of strengthening the implementation and accessibility of PSS to improve TB treatment success and move towards India's goal of TB elimination.