Health of Roma People living in marginalized Communities in Slovakia

ABSTRACT

Inadequate nutrition as a result of poverty and poor real access to health care due to a lack of financial resources for travel to the doctor or medicines contribute to the unsatisfactory state of health in Roma communities. According to a Dinge study (Dinge 2003), there is a relatively large genetic load in some Roma communities, which is related to a high incidence of congenital (born) diseases. According to the general statistics of the Slovak Republic for the year 2021, there were 2.9 million people who were unable to work due to inhabitants, while in 2012 it was 2.3 million, people, while the average morbidity rate rose to 4.3% of the total population. Roma people have worse health status;higher infant mortality rates;shorter (10-15 years) life expectancy;higher prevalence of chronic diseases than the non-Roma (Sedlakova, 2014).