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Roma Health: An Overview of Communicable Diseases in Eastern and Central Europe

Author

Listed:
  • Kabir Tombat

    (Department of Community and Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Jitse P. van Dijk

    (Department of Community and Occupational Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
    Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, Medical Faculty, P.J. Safarik University, Tr. SNP 1, 040 01 Kosice, Slovakia
    Olomouc University Society and Health Institute, Palacky University, 771 11 Olomouc, Czech Republic)

Abstract

The Roma are Europe’s largest minority. They are also one of its most disadvantaged, with low levels of education and health and high levels of poverty. Research on Roma health often reveals higher burdens of disease in the communities studied. This paper aims to review the literature on communicable diseases among Roma across Eastern and Central Europe. A PubMed search was carried out for communicable diseases among Roma in these parts of Europe, specifically in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and North Macedonia. The papers were then screened for relevance and utility. Nineteen papers were selected for review; most of them from Slovakia. Roma continue to have a higher prevalence of communicable diseases and are at higher risk of infection than the majority populations of the countries they live in. Roma children in particular have a particularly high prevalence of parasitic disease. However, these differences in disease prevalence are not present across all diseases and all populations. For example, when Roma are compared to non-Roma living in close proximity to them, these differences are often no longer significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Kabir Tombat & Jitse P. van Dijk, 2020. "Roma Health: An Overview of Communicable Diseases in Eastern and Central Europe," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-12, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:20:p:7632-:d:431565
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