The Togolese Republic is a country in West Africa bordering Ghana in the west, Benin in the east and Burkina Faso in the north. In the south, it has a short Gulf of Guinea coast, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo's population is 5.7 millions (July 2007 estimate); the male/female ratio is 0.965 male(s)/female (2007 est.). The birth rate is estimated at 36.83 births and the mortality rate at 9.65 per 1,000 people; the country population growth rate at 2.718%. The life expectancy is 57.86 years (55.81 years for males and 59.96 years for females). The total fertility rate is 4.9 children born per woman, and infant mortality rate is 59.12 deaths/1,000 live births.

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in adult population was estimated to be 3.2 % (2005), with 110,000 people believed to be living with HIV/AIDS and 9100 people died in 2006 due to the pandemic. There were about 9,700 children living with HIV/AIDS (2005) and 88,000 orphaned by AIDS.