KHOPOTSO: I caught up with Natalie Glebova, the 23 year-old Canadian lass who was crowned Miss Universe six weeks ago in Bangkok, Thailand, on her cell phone whilst she was en-route to Swaziland after spending a day visiting HIV and AIDS projects in Johannesburg. This is what she had to say about her role as a global spokesperson on the epidemic.      

NATALIE GLEBOVA: I actually didn’€™t choose the HIV and AIDS cause’€¦ I’€™m only continuing the work that previous title-holders have done and I’€™m picking up where they left off to be a spokesperson for HIV and AIDS all over the world.                  

KHOPOTSO: Continuing the crusade of her predecessors, her year-long reign will take her around the globe as an ambassador for organisations such as the Global Health Council, the American AIDS Research Foundation, the Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation and God’€™s Love We Deliver. Her trip to South Africa and Swaziland has been an eye-opening experience.      

NATALIE GLEBOVA: You have to see it to understand it. And because I do see the devastation here, I see the orphans, and I see people who are sick and are dying, I’€™m able to go around the world and actually say ‘€˜hey, you know what? I’€™ve seen it’€™, because a lot of people around the world are just unaware. They know it exists, but until they put a face to it they will never really, truly understand it. And if I understand it, it will be so much easier for me to explain it to them.

KHOPOTSO: Ms Glebova says there are two key messages that she will take around the world in her quest to create better awareness around HIV and AIDS.    

NATALIE GLEBOVA: One of them: Prevention. Even with everything we hear in high schools, and from parents, and from media about protection and being careful’€¦ we’€™re still not doing it. It really takes a trip like this to really scare you and say ‘€˜hey, you know what? If you don’€™t smarten up you’€™re going to get infected’€™. So, protection is one of them ‘€“ engaging in responsible relationships, always using condoms.

Number two, people who are infected with HIV and AIDS are not evil. They are people who need our help, they need our love and support and you can’€™t contract HIV from touching somebody, from kissing somebody or holding hands with them.

So, don’€™t be afraid of reaching out and helping those people. There’€™s a lot of stigma associated with this disease that needs to be broken down. Otherwise, it will be really hard to fight this pandemic.

KHOPOTSO: If she were not Miss Universe and, by default, a global spokesperson on the epidemic, she probably wouldn’€™t have taken an HIV test. Her new title afforded her the opportunity to leap out of her comfort zone and find out about her own status for the first time two days ago, when she tested at the Helen Joseph Hospital, in Johannesburg.

NATALIE GLEBOVA: You know, in Canada the problem is not so urgent and we, as Canadians, don’€™t really think about it as much, which we should. We absolutely should. But we don’€™t, unfortunately. We assume that everything is fine. Just because we live in Canada we don’€™t have to worry about things like that’€¦ It is not something that we are taught to do. And it should be part of a regular routine. If you are sexually active you should be taking this test every year to ensure that you’€™re negative and if you are positive you have to know and engage in very responsible relationships.

KHOPOTSO: Miss Universe’€™s visit to Africa comes at a time when the group of eight wealthy nations, which include Canada, meet in Gleneagles, Scotland, to discuss the economic plight of Africa, which also hampers the ability of African countries to provide proper health care and AIDS treatment to their citizens. What role can Natalie Glebova play in influencing rich nations to increase their contributions to the fight against HIV and AIDS in Africa?

NATALIE GLEBOVA: As far as my title goes, I can only do so much. I cannot do everything at once. In order to fight this pandemic around the world we have to all work together in different areas. Politicians have to do their part, medical researchers have to do their part and I will do my part in this fight. What I can do as I travel around the world is publicly testify, do things like taking a public HIV test to show example, go to an orphanage to play with the kinds and take pictures with them to show that it’€™s okay to hold them, to hug them because you will not get this disease from them. I can make a speech to encourage women and men to get tested and encourage both sexes to protect themselves. These are the things that I can do as Miss Universe, this year.

KHOPOTSO: Do you agree though, that the rich nations are actually doing little to help the AIDS crisis in Africa?

NATALIE GLEBOVA: I wouldn’€™t be able to tell you a lot about this because I really don’€™t know’€¦    

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