PROMOTING ROMA ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES BASED ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES AND NON-DISCRIMINATION

The project “Promoting Roma access to health services based on equal opportunities and non-discrimination” is a strategic initiative of the SASTIPEN Association, focused on reducing discrimination against Roma people in the medical system and ensuring equitable access to health services. The project responds to a persistent structural problem in Romania, where prejudice, institutional barriers, and the lack of effective reporting mechanisms result in unequal access to medical care. Although many Roma people report experiences of discrimination, the number of officially reported cases remains low, indicating a deficit of trust and of safe reporting tools.

Funded through the ROVA programme, Roma CSOs promoting EU values, the project runs from January 2026 to April 2027 over a period of 16 months. Activities are coordinated nationally by SASTIPEN and focus primarily on the network of Roma health mediators working in hundreds of vulnerable communities and facilitating the relationship between Roma populations and the healthcare system. Implementation takes place in collaboration with relevant public institutions, including the Ministry of Health and the National Council for Combating Discrimination, as well as nongovernmental organizations active in the field of human rights.

The main objective is to strengthen health mediators’ capacity to defend the rights of Roma patients and prevent discrimination. The project предусматриes the establishment of a Department for Combating Discrimination in Health within SASTIPEN, the training of at least 200 health mediators in human rights and anti-discrimination legislation, the development of an anonymous digital mechanism for reporting abuses, and the implementation of a national information and advocacy campaign.

Activities include training programs, documentation of discrimination cases, the organization of a national symposium of health mediators, and the development of practical tools such as guides for ethical doctor-patient communication. In the long term, the project contributes to strengthening the role of health mediators as promoters of equality, increasing Roma trust in the medical system, and developing more accessible and equitable health services for vulnerable communities.