title: [Evaluation of the action plan for Roma people in health area].
abstract: By virtue of the national program for Romanies and participation in the Decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015, Croatia has chosen its strategic standpoint toward programs of social inclusion of Romanies in four priority areas: housing, education, employment and health. The objectives of the Roma Action Plan (AP) for 2005-2015 in the health area focus on: * ensuring equal availability of health services through information about personal rights and health insurance options; * child health improvement and care, as well as mortality reduction; * raising health awareness and care in terms of safe motherhood, family planning and reproductive health; * financial support to schooling of Roma people in health professions In order to monitor the implementation of AP and measure the availability of health care and condition, certain indicators of the number and coverage of Romanies are crucial for each of the above objectives: indicators for the Roma informed about personal rights resulting from the mandatory health insurance; for Romanies who have health insurance; for vaccinated Romani children, for Romani newborns born in maternity hospitals, for prenatal and pregnancy health care in Romani women, for Romanies included in family planning, for the mortality rate and causes of death in Romanies, and for the Roma receiving scholarships for education in health professions. Most of these indicators are only obtainable through special studies, while routinely monitored indicators simply do not satisfy quantitative needs. Another problem is Romanies not stating their ethnic denomination. Consequently, routine Roma mortality and cause of death statistics are unreliable. At the state level, no specific indicators of implementation could be obtained for any of the above health objectives, while some were obtainable for specific units of local and self-government (Baranja, Medimurje and Primorje-Goranska County). According to the research, more than 50% of Romanies in Croatia are situated in Medimurje, where they make up 3.4% of overall population, but also 53% of recipients of unemployment compensation. In Medimurje County, local and EU funds were used to undertake certain measures of protection from infectious diseases, alongside health education in combating ignorance and mistrust of Roma towards vaccination. Baranja used state budget funds to conduct preventive examinations of Romani women who have no health insurance, and to educate them in health measures of safe motherhood, family planning and infant health care. Although the AP includes a series of measures for improving Romanies' health, it cannot be implemented or its effects measured without clearly defined organizers of activities, resources assigned for implementation, and process and outcome indicators.
authors.affiliation: Croatian National Institute of Public Health & Andrija Stampar School of Public Health, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. urelija.rodin@hzjz.hr
authors.forename: Urelija
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Rodin
mesh_terms: D017523:Croatia; D006078:Government Programs; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D006178:Romani People / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012946:Social Welfare