Opportunities at International level regarding Roma health

1
Opportunities at International level regarding
Roma health

• OSI Network Public Health Program Conference
• Istanbul, May 2005
• Cristi Mihalache

2
Opportunities at international level for a
specific agenda on Roma health

• There is momentum to be taken advantage on due to
  unprecedented attention to Roma issues in Europe.
• Tendency to agree that the health status and
  access to health care of Roma is poor. Still, the
  claim is not based on comprehensive data to
  ascertain this situation.
• Both governments and intergovernmental
  institutions and organizations have developed
  various policy frameworks in which Roma as a
  group at risk and excluded group should fit.
• In fact Roma should be prioritized into core
  policy documents at both national and
  international level as currently for the most
  part they are not.

3
Stakeholders

• National level
• Government Ministry of Health, Ministry of
  Social Affairs, Office on Roma.
• Local authorities County council, Local council,
  Health public authority, Health-care
  institutions.
• NGOs (Roma and non-Roma) working both at local
  and national level, social workers (preferably
  Roma), community representatives
• Research institutions
• International level
• Intergovernmental organizations UN WHO, OSCE,
  Council of Europe, and the European Union.
• International NGOs OSI, ERIO, ERRC and other
  partner organizations.

4
Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe -- OSCE

• Very politicized, soft approach vs.
  behind-the-scene diplomatic approach.
• OSCE missions in post-conflict countries directly
  or indirectly involved in policy-making.
• OSCE Plan of Action on Roma and Sinti includes a
  distinct chapter on Health. OSCE looks at
  revisiting its working methods.
• This forum can be used in order to look at the
  assessment monitoring and evaluation of the
  implementation of the Action Plan and connected
  policy measures.

5
Council of Europe

• CoE Draft Recommendation on Roma access to
  Health-care
• European Health Committee the possibility to
  look further at the situation of Roma.
• Health and Ethics unit within the DG III Social
  Cohesion deals with vulnerable groups such as
  Roma.

6
United Nations

• WHO explore more the possibility of using the
  system. Encourage and ensure that Roma
  organizations working on Roma health are aware of
  and do explore these possibilities to get Roma
  higher on UN health-related agenda.
• The implementation of the Millennium Declaration
  should be followed closer.

7
European Union

• Full member state countries Hungary, Czech
  Republic, Slovakia Poland and Slovenia.
• Acceding countries Bulgaria and Romania.
• Candidate countries/countries starting the
  negotiation process soon Croatia, Turkey/Serbia
  Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia Herzegovina

8
A. EU Inclusion Process

• Lisbon and Feira European Council as the starting
  point (2000) for the open method of
  co-ordination in the field of tackling poverty
  and social exclusion.
• Primary and secondary indicators have been agreed
  (e.g. life expectancy at birth and self perceived
  health status).
• Countries had to produce periodic reports the
  new member states Romania and Bulgaria had
  transitional ones (JIMs) while the old member
  states and from 2006 on the new member states
  also have to produce NAPs on social inclusion.
• The process will be reformed important for those
  working in the field of Roma health to ensure
  that governments include specific measures aimed
  at the improvement of the situation of Roma,
  including in the field of health
• A better co-ordination between policy-makers,
  CSOs and the Roma communities themselves is
  needed.

9
B. DG Health and Consumer Protection

• Developing a system of health monitoring
  comparable information on health as well s agreed
  indicators core task of DG Health it is
  important that this takes into account the lack
  of comprehensive data about Romani communities.
• Within the Community action program in the field
  of public health, organizations can participate
  in open tenders publicized periodically by the
  European Commission.
• Countries about to start negotiations for
  accession to the EU (Croatia, Serbia Montenegro,
  BiH, Macedonia) in the near future, it is
  essential that when they translate EU legal
  framework into domestic legislation issues
  related to Roma health are prioritized because
  (1) national policies have to be implemented in
  this respect and (2) pre-accession id schemes of
  funding will be designed and implemented.
• The EU Health Forum

10
National level

• Lack of capacity of most Romani organizations
  aimed at a strategic approach in dealing with
  public authorities.
• Need for capacity-building aimed at
• Better communication with other organizations and
  institutions working in the field of public
  heath.
• Strategic and consistent approach in the work
  with public authorities.
• More substantial input in policy-making core
  policy documents and budgets.
• Better co-ordination between peer CSOs.
• ALL aimed at ensuring that issues related to the
  health status and access to health care for Roma
  are prioritized and adequately budgeted, while
  closely monitoring the implementation of existing
  measures.