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South Africa is currently experiencing one of the most severe HIV epidemics in the world. By the end of 2005, there were five and a half million people living with HIV in South Africa, and almost 1,000 AIDS deaths occurring every day, according to UNAIDS estimates.

KwaZulu-Natal is the country's most affected province. Thirty to fifty percent of the 200,000 babies delivered in this province every year are born to HIV positive women. The majority of these children die by the age of two. Coupled with this high burden of HIV/AIDS is the high rate of TB in KwaZulu-Natal. The province accounts for 15% of all TB cases in South Africa, contributing to the country's ranking as 9th among the 22 high-burden countries. It is estimated that of the 5.5 million South Africans infected with HIV, 1.7 million will get sick with TB before they die.