The high rates of TB in South Africa are closely linked
with the high rates of human immunodeficiency virus
(HIV) in the country, which has one of the highest
prevalence estimates of HIV globally, at 17.8% [8]. South
Africa has one of the highest TB/HIV co-infection rates
estimated to be 65% in 2011 [1] and this rate is even greater
in KwaZulu-Natal where 80% of TB cases are co-infected
with HIV [9]. Results of surveys among HCWs in South
Africa have indicated that up to 16% of HCWs in
South Africa are living with HIV [10,11], placing these
HCWs at an even greater risk of developing TB in the
workplace than HCWs without HIV.