In the run up to the International AIDS Conference‚ taking place in Durban this week‚ Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi‚ on Sunday (July 17) launched the National Coalition against TB at the Ethekwini Community Church in the city.

Plans to implement screening programmes and regional treatment initiatives to combat tuberculosis with the same fervour as HIV/Aids are in the pipeline, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said.

According to a study a case of extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (TB) costs South Africa about $26 392 (R234 516.67) to treat, which is four times that of drug resistant TB, which costs $6 772, and a 103 times more than drug sensitive TB, which costs $257.