Indicator history

Some information on specific health problems is available only in relation to Roma community.

Access to health services is an issue addressed in a 1995 Government Program for the Assistance to Roma People. However, this program only includes activities to be carried out but no background information for these activities.

There is no academic research available on specific health issues of particular groups. Amnesty International reports states, which examines the conditions in which some Roma families live, states that contaminated water that some Roma families are forced to use in the absence of water infrastructure in their settlements, causes serious illnesses, such as diarrhoea.

There are also some blogs available which address the health situation of Roma in a descriptive manner. In one of such articles, for example, Rajko Sajnovic states that Roma children start smoking and drinking coffee, and have access to alcohol very early in childhood, which causes weak immune system. Poor nutrition of Roma children living in poor Roma settlements is another cause of illnesses. He states that the majority of Roma people have cardiovascular problems and chronic illnesses on lungs and stomach. Many have increased values of cholesterol and sugar and many have problems with hypertension.

Source:

Parallel lives. Roma denied rights to housing and Water in Slovenia, report, Amnesty International, 2011, available at http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/EUR68/005/2011.
Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Program ukrepov za pomoč Romov v Republiki Sloveniji, 1995, available at: http://www.uvn.gov.si/fileadmin/uvn.gov.si/pageuploads/pdf_datoteke/Romi_1995.pdf.
Rajko Sajnovic: Zdravje romskih otrok (Health of Roma Children),  http://www.redbook.si/user/rsajnovi/blog/43807=zdravje-romskih-otrok/.