1. Healthy Communities Presentation of the Slovak program by the Platform (PPZZS)

2. Roma health mediator A network of a national coordinator – field coordinators – field workers Field workers come from and live in settlements To educate Roma people in health care In order to improve their health condition, their access to health care and their own knowledge about healthy life style

3. Proven Experience and Plans ACEC: from 11 settlements in 2003-04, 30 settlements in 2005-06, 68 settlements in 2007-09,…, to 33 settlements today The Platform: another almost 110 settlements in October 2013 Our plans: 180 settlements in summer 2014 and 270 settlements in autumn 2015

4. Is it possible? Yes! …But is not very easy

5. History (1 of 2) 2012: The Platform established from the active NGOs and representatives of several ministries and health care providers to link the private experience with public funding and make the activity sustainable 2012-13: Many dead-end roads tested 2013: Instead of 35, the project assumes 300 Roma assistants Project political owners attracted: Minister of finance, Minister of interior (also responsible for Roma reform), Roma plenipotentiary

6. History (2 of 2) Leadership by the Platform is absolutely essential Funding for 2013 secured by Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Labor from their own budgets How to get money to Platform? New legislation passed, Office of Plenipotentiary becoming a day-to-day partner The first 40 employees hired next Tuesday Within next days, another 80 hired and trained, 120 employees in total in 2013

7. Plans State budget to finance program next year, 200 employees in 2014 New EU funds to finance 300 employees in 2015-2021

8. Lessons of experience Having an idea and experience, formalized in a written form w/ budget Bringing people together, becoming a partner to the government, keeping the leadership Finding owners in the government Testing dead-end roads Keeping going and going and going and going and going

9. Thank you Platforma na podporu zdravia znevýhodnených skupín (PPZZS) Šafárikovo námestie 2, 811 02 Bratislava, Slovak Republic MUDr. Elena Marušáková, Head of Governing Council Contact person: Zuzana Pálošová (mriezka@gmail.com)mriezka@gmail.com and Michal Kubo (michalkubo@gmail.com)michalkubo@gmail.com