India’s apex research institute floats a ‘recipe-for-TB patients’ contest

Participants can send detailed recipes for everything -- cooked, semi-cooked dishes, soups, salads, shakes, smoothies -- keeping in mind the nutritional needs of TB patients.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has floated a one-of-its-kind national contest, seeking low-cost nutritional recipes from the public for people with tuberculosis (TB).

Participants can send detailed recipes for everything -- cooked, semi-cooked dishes, soups, salads, shakes, smoothies -- keeping in mind the nutritional needs of TB patients, including children and people with diabetes.

India accounts for 2.8 million of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis cases globally , out of which 4.23 lakh die each year in the country, shows data from recently released TB report, 2018. Good nutrition helps counter weight loss associated with TB and lowers acute side effects associated with medicines, which include nausea, vomiting and appetite loss.

“The entry must include all needed ingredients with their full name, required quantity of each ingredient and approximate cost of the required ingredients. Exact process of preparation should also be provided in a step by step manner and time duration for each step of preparation should also be specified,” read general contest guidelines uploaded on the ICMR website.

About 25 selected recipes will be published as a book that will be used for nutritional counselling of TB patients.

This ICMR initiative is a part of Union health ministry’s initiative to help TB patients eat the right kind of food at low cost.

To ensure their nutritional needs are met, finance minister Arun Jaitley allocated ₹600 crore for nutritional support at ₹500 per month for the duration of treatment, in this year’s annual budget.

The National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT), a Chennai-based research institute, under ICMR, is the nodal agency responsible for analysing the applications.

“We are mainly looking at options for poor people who cannot afford expensive nutritional supplements. Main reason for mortality in TB patients is low serum protein and low haemoglobin levels and low body mass index, so the recipes should focus on compensating for these,” said Dr Srikanth Tripathy, director, NIRT.

The recipe ideas should be emailed to info@nirt.res.in, or by post to the institute director by April 15, 2018.

“All other fine details and specifications like taste, colour, etc., related to the item being prepared, and information on the usefulness of the items being prepared with reference to specific population like children, adults, diabetics, etc., should also be provided in the application.”

A committee of experts will select 25 best submissions which meet the criteria, and will be awarded cash prize – ₹10,000 for the entry adjudged best, ₹7,000 for the second best and ₹5,000 for the third prize winner. A consolation prize of ₹1,000 each will be awarded to 22 entries.