Project acronym: H2O

Duration:  30 months, 01/11/2021

Coordinator:  People's University of  Lendava (Slovenia)

Partners:  Hungary, Spain, Ireland, Serbia, Greece, Portugal, Croatia

European funding provided by the Erasmus+ program, Cooperation Partnerships


PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT

Research addressing the Roma issues points out the health illiteracy of Roma as one of the key reasons for the social exclusion of members of the Roma community. Despite the fact that attention has been drawn to this problem for many years, the health illiteracy of members of the Roma community is one of the most common problems every time. From this we can conclude that previous programs and projects in this area have been unsuccessful, or their success has been limited. 

European studies indicate that the Roma receive poorer health care, both in terms of poorer access to health services and poorer quality of services, which only reinforces their lack of trust in the health care system.

In recent years, the European Union has encouraged member states to pursue strategies to increase health literacy and access to health services, and they consider it essential to include the Roma. Some foreign research proves that it is positive for minorities if they have their own representatives among the specialists - for example, in the USA, better results are observed for black patients who are treated by black specialists. Some research also indicates that the Roma receive poorer health care, both in terms of poorer access to health services and poorer quality of services, which only reinforces their lack of trust in the health care system. Even the current Covid-19 pandemic has affected most health services. These findings support the need to increase health literacy among members of the Roma community, that they will be able to defend their rights in relation to healthcare. It also provides an excellent reason to train and employ Roma health professionals who could respond to the needs of the Roma community and defend their rights. The current anti-discrimination law offers a unique legal opportunity to fight against anti-Gypsism in healthcare and related education, which is why we consider the application of the project to be very important at this time.

 
THE NEEDS WE ADDRESS WITH THE PROJECT

Partner organizations found a low level of health literacy among Roma. Due to irregular health insurance, they do not visit doctors, do not understand the diagnosis and course of the disease, and for various personal reasons do not trust the medical staff. The percentage of chronic non-communicable diseases, which are the result of the unhealthy lifestyle of members of the Roma community, which their children take over, does not change and has remained at the same high level for years.


The social exclusion of Roma and the absence of social support networks and ties lead to exclusion from health systems and exacerbate unhealthy lifestyles. Most often, poor health results from less adequate health care, financial barriers to using health services, and non-financial barriers to using health services, such as psychological, relational, and social problems. Due to unfavourable living conditions in Roma settlements, malnutrition, various forms of addiction and various hardships, it is characteristic that members of the Roma community die earlier than members of the majority nation, namely

many chronic non-communicable diseases, mental health problems and obesity, and in some countries also the vaccination percentage of Roma children, contribute a lot to this fact. Due to the fact that sexuality is a taboo subject among members of the Roma community, sexually transmitted diseases are also transmitted uncontrollably and the number of unplanned pregnancies is extremely high.


With the project, we therefore want to contribute to:

1) improving the availability of high-quality learning opportunities for adults,

2) improving the competence of educators and other staff in the field of adult education,

3) the physical and mental health and well-being of members of the Roma community,

4) bridging intercultural, intergenerational and social differences.