On behalf of the World Health Day, NRC calls on accessibility, quality and effective health services for all Roma women and protection of reproductive health for all women in R. Macedonia.

From the examined 2.756 Roma women, 1789 lack their own gynecologist, 1331 has had an abortion, and 357 women had more than 3 abortions. From a total number of 2226 births, 173 children died during being born, 121 died in their first 28 days, and 166 in their first year – data from research and analyses of the National Roma Centrum conducted during the course of 2008/2009 in Kumanovo, Prilep, Bitola and Kriva Palanka entitled as “Prosperity and health of Roma women – path towards challenges”.

These data provide an image about the lack of informing as well as inaccessibility of Roma women to quality health services in the area of reproductive health as well as insufficient prenatal and natal care for Roma women.

The unequal treatment, caused by the difficult economic situation with that Roma women face, leads towards unequal treatment and approach to the health protection system. The exclusion, inaccessibility, high prices of certain medical services, lack of medicaments in the state quota, make the approach of Roma women to public health services even more difficult. This problem becomes larger when services are necessary in the part of secondary health protection that contains a significant number of services from the reproductive period.

Prevention, as well as quality services for women in their reproductive period is basis for a healthy society and future healthy generation.

Taking in consideration the seriousness of the fact that for real resolving of the problems of the Roma people, effective solutions are necessary, as well as multi sector approach and cooperation. This is why we call upon the Government and its authorized ministries: Ministry of health, Ministry of interior, Ministry of labor and social policy, Board for registries, Public health institute, Fund for Health insurance and all interested to be open for finding of real solutions and mechanisms that would be applicable for all citizens regardless of their belonging.

Health is a basic precondition for participation in all social processes.

Each progress is successful with active partners.

Sebihana Skenderovska

Program coordinator for NRC’s women program