Interview with top athlete Haile Gebreselassie

After renewing his pledge last week to highlight the problem of the million HIV/AIDS orphans in Ethiopia through the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), Haile Gebreselassie, one of the greatest athletes in the world, tells PlusNews why he has personally campaigned to emphasise the problem among the youth, and how drug companies dealing in anti-retroviral drugs have a moral obligation to sell them more cheaply. QUESTION: What has prompted your interest in HIV/AIDS? ANSWER: I have some friends that have caught HIV/ AIDS. For me, I don’t want to distinguish between people. They are my friends, part of my family. All of them have supported me when I run abroad and they cheer when I have won. I know some people who are very close to me that have become HIV-positive. But we are like we were before. I don’t care that they are HIV-positive. I understand. But some people at this time don’t understand what HIV/AIDS is. Q: What sort of effect does that have on you, having friends who are HIV-positive? A: For me, when I see the person who became HIV-positive, I think about when I am going to lose him. That has a very bad impact on me. Imagine, just when your friend is going to die - what do you think? That guy who became HIV-positive, his problem is a lot worse than yours, but you have to think he is going to die, that you will lose him. But the problem is not like what we expect. Those people can walk, they can live as long as they keep their bodies healthy from disease. Q: How serious is the problem of HIV/AIDS orphans here in Ethiopia? A: It is not just how serious the problem is. It is worse than what we are saying now. The question is how we handle it and how we stop this problem. But this could take years... If it continues like it is now, the problem will become worse than the situation now. Q: There have been many campaigns to address HIV/AIDS. Why is this different, and how can you get the message across to rural areas? A: This is also my question. As you say, in rural areas they don’t have communications systems, they don’t have radios. Of course we need to help more people in the rural areas. I am sure in some parts of Ethiopia they don’t know what HIV/AIDS is. We need to teach those people. In urban areas we need to find another solution to help teach the rural areas. Q: What do you think about the use of condoms, which are not really talked about in this society? A: Honestly speaking, to use a condom is secondary thing. First, the priority these people have [is] to stop transferring the virus [by abstinence]. Of course they are human beings and they want to enjoy whatever, but they have to think first what the problem is. If they cannot challenge the first thing, then they should use a condom. This is a very good solution if they cannot use the first method. The other, of course, is that, according to my religion, to use a condom or to use other things is a little bit complicated to teach for the people. For me, the best way to teach them one-to-one on [how] to stop this kind of problem. Q: Do drug companies have a moral obligation to charge less for drugs that combat HIV/AIDS? A: At this time there is a possibility that when people become HIV-positive they can get the drugs... There is a moral obligation. They have to reduce the price, otherwise how can we get these drugs? The annual income here is US $120. That means they cannot buy the things that they need now. We need an organisation like UNICEF to support these people... Q: How would you describe the fight against HIV/AIDS compared to other challenges in your life? A: Of course, HIV/AIDS is a really serious problem. Another big problem is poverty, especially the number of people who need aid. More than 10 million people need aid. First, these people have to eat before they talk about HIV/AIDS. You know some people think: I would like to die eating and not die hungry. Both of them, poverty and HIV/AIDS, for me they are the same... Both of them are the priority. Q: How do you break the stigma and discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS suffer from? A: Now the situation is much better than before. Then it was really very bad. Even some people would not rent their house if the people have HIV/AIDS. Now people understand... It is becoming a normal thing to know if someone has HIV/AIDS. Teaching people has helped. Again it is difficult to tell about the rural areas. In the rural areas there is still a lack of education...