Challenges faced by Roma women, mothers and children in access to preventive health care is the topic of today's conference to be held by the associations ESE, Romano Chachipe, IZIR and the NGO KHAM.

According to the research of these civil society organizations, the Roma in the country face a more unfavorable health condition than the rest of the population. According to the associations, the infant mortality rate among Roma is 1.5 times higher than the Macedonian population in 2017. In the same year, almost 50 percent of Roma deaths occurred before the age of 65, compared with 23 percent for the rest of the population.

The findings of the survey conducted in Roma communities also identified the key problems faced by Roma women in accessing women's reproductive health services.

Half of the Roma women have not chosen a registered gynecologist, primarily because they do not have a registered gynecologist in their municipality, as well as due to the payment of services by registered registered gynecologists. Only 2% of Roma women from Suto Orizari are covered by the Ministry of Health's Cervical Cancer Screening Program, although this screening is extremely important for the timely detection and treatment of this type of cancer, the ESE association said.

They also explain that Romani women are almost not included in the Program for screening and early detection of breast cancer, which is the most common malignant disease in the female population.

Regarding the health of mothers and children, more than half of Romani women were not visited by a patronage nurse during their last pregnancy. While not even 20% of newborns are visited by a patronage nurse in the first year of life. All this can have a significant impact on the early development of children, which further reflects on the health and further development of individuals, informs ESE.

As announced, the conference will be followed by a public debate on this topic where, in addition to representatives of civil society organizations, representatives from the Polyclinic of Suto Orizari and the Health Center Delchevo will speak.

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