7 April 2010,Kumanovo, – The National Roma Centrum (NRC) would like to address the public on behalf of 7th April, World Health Day, which is being celebrated in the honor of establishing of the World Health Organization as a possibility to turn the attention of the public towards significant issues in the area of health, as each year, this year it is being marked under the motto “1000 cities, 1000 lives”.
1000 cities: where locations for promotion of health will be opened, regardless of whether activities in parks will be organized, sports halls, whether cleaning campaigns will be organized or streets will be closed in order to limit movement of motor vehicles.
1000 lives: to gather 1000 stories about urban health champions that have taken action and have significant influence on health life in their cities.
This year the World Health Organization targets urban environments to promote healthy living environment, healthy way of life and life with fewer motor vehicles.
Roma in R. Macedonia live in urban environments, but according to NRC’s analyses made in 2008-2009 within the frames of project, Prosperity and health of Roma women, path towards challenges, realized in 4 cities in Macedonia, 2.756 Roma women were surveyed and they are facing the following problems that have direct influence on the health condition of each individual:
- Substandard living quarters
- Incomplete coverage for vaccination
- Irregular diet
- Insufficient coverage and inclusion of Roma women in preventive programs for health protection
- Increasing of quality of services in public health
- Insufficient informing
From a total number of 2.226 births from the surveyed group, 173 children have died during delivery, 121 children died within the first 28 days of their delivery and 166 in the first year of their lives.
The percentage of post neonatal mortality is larger which points out on bad hygienic and socio-economic living conditions.
The dynamic of growth, development and features of the biological structure of the children organism set its nourishment on a central level. Good, healthy and balanced diet understands use of biologically valuable products that can satisfy energetic needs and qualitative input of important matters. Only in this way harmonic growth and development of children will be provides as well as protection from diseases.
Republic of Macedonia on the day of the World Health Day needs to take in consideration the Millennium development goals of the UN that have been accepted by all UN countries and needs to achieve the following:
- To eliminate extreme poverty,
- To decrease mortality rate with newborns and infants,
- To include everyone in obligatory primary education,
- To promote gender equality
- To organize 100% vaccination among the total population in the country
- To provide free health insurance
1000 cities, 1000 lives
Contact person
Sebihana Skenderovska
Coordinator of the project
Prosperity and health of Roma women, path towards challenges – continuation
Contacts:
skenderovska [at] nationalromacentrum [dot] org
www.nationalromacentrum.org
tel/fax:+389 31 427 558
Address: Done Bozinov 11/5,
1300 Kumanovo, Macedonia