1. ROMA HEALTH FROM PRACTICE TO POLICY Jadranka Stojanovic Fund for an Open Society Serbia May 2006

2. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA  According to 2002 census – 108,193 According to unofficial data of some Roma NGOs – 900,000 Data provided by Romany experts suggest that the number is from 450,000 to 500,000  Average age of Roma is 27.52  31.74% are aged 0-18  4.19% are older than 65  24.60% is illiterate among those aged 10 or more  Only 12.1% of Roma have personal income  Around 75% of Roma live in bad housing conditions

3. FACTS ABOUT ROMA POPULATION Roma are known to be the youngest population in the world Only one in hundred Roma lives to be 60 According to some research papers, Roma begin their sexual life as 14.76 year-olds, which largely corresponds to the age at which they become married. During their reproductive period, women have, on average, 13.56 abortions Roma children become sick 3 to 10 times more often than their peers Owing to their irregular schooling, Roma children are not included in systematic medical check-ups compulsory in schools Considerable number of Roma don’t have IDs and health-insurance cards Owing to bad conditions, lack of health insurance, lack of education and bad communication, Roma delay going to a doctor to get examined Consequently, many curable diseases leave consequences and become chronic diseases

4. FIELDS OF WORK OF ROMA NON-GOVERNMENTAL SECTOR  Education of Roma community on the exercise of the right to healthcare  Assistance to Roma to obtain personal identity and health insurance documents  Teaching Roma to recognize discrimination against them and acquainting them with protection mechanisms  Sensibilization of healthcare staff for specificities of life, culture and health needs of Roma  Support to Roma women to exercise their right in the area of women’s health  Advocacy for improved sanitary and hygienic status of Roma settlements  Education of healthcare institutions for implementation of the Action Plan for Health  Monitoring implementation of the Action Plan for Health

5. FAVORABLE CONDITIONS FOR SYSTEMIC CHANGE  Roma officially recognized as a national minority in Serbia (Law, 2002)  The national Strategy for Integration of Roma in Serbia made (2003)  Experiences and knowledge of NGOs and cooperation/partnership with healthcare institutions  Initiating the Decade of Roma Inclusion  Openness and readiness for cooperation of the Ministry of Health

6. DECADE OF ROMA INCLUSION  Coordination and facilitation in the making of Action Plans – Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and FOSS  The expert team for health (representatives of Roma NGOs, Roma National Council, Ministry of Health),  Consultations with the civil sector  The Government of Serbia adopted Action Plans on January 27, 2005.

7. ACTION PLAN FOR HEALTH  Research of the health status of Roma population  Amending legal regulation and ensuring implementation of existing laws  Carrying out health programs in order to improve Roma health  Improving the living environment and housing conditionsP

8. MECHANISMS FOR IMPLEMENTING ACTION PLANS Systemic: - Secretariat for Roma Education Strategy – Ministry of Human and Minority Rights - Office for Roma Inclusion – Executive Council of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina - Coordination Body for Roma Integration – City of Belgrade - Roma commissioners in 18 town and municipal authorities in Serbia Civil: The League for the Decade of Roma – a coalition of NGOs / Committee for Education Mission: Monitoring and advocacy for effective implementation of Action Plans

9. RESULTS - Budget for implementing the Action Plan for Health in 2006 - $ 850,000 - Ministry of Health announced a competition for support to healthcare institutions for programs intended for Roma - Roma health integrated in programs of the Ministry of Health (HIV-AIDS, TB, Preventive Healthcare Protection) - An expert team to draft an Action Plan for solving the problems of Roma in obtaining personal documents - Local governments have planed budget resources for implementing APs - Local healthcare institutions and administrations make expert and financial contribution to NGO projects