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Over fifty experts and politicians, representatives of leading Roma non-governmental organizations, Ministry of Health, National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues (NCCEII), national, regional and local institutions, UNICEF, "America for Bulgaria" Foundation and other,  participated in the conference "Successful practices and basic approaches to the improvement of the health status of the Roma community". It was held on October 26 (Wednesday) in the town of Stara Zagora and was organized by "World without borders" association - Stara Zagora, Center for interethnic dialog and tolerance "Amalipe" – Veliko Tarnovo, Roma Academy for culture and education - Sliven, "New Road" Association - Hajredin, "Roma - Lom" Foundation and Roma Educational Fund - Budapest with the kind partnership of National Council for Cooperation on Ethnic and Integration Issues.

It is necessary the National Strategy for Roma Integration to have its operational part - with clearly set out specific activities, financing (from the state budget and the European funds) and time limits, as this document must find its reflection in the National program for development "Bulgaria 2020", said in his message of greetings to the participants Mr. Deyan Kolev, chairman of Amalipe. We all need to be active in the preparation of this document, and to defend that it will be adopted not only by an Act of the Council of Ministers, but also with a Decision of the Bulgarian Parliament in a way this document to have a real value.

 Mrs. Rositza Ivanova, Secretary-General of the Secretariat of NCCEII, pointed out that until this moment the Inter-Department work-group, which includes experts from all the institutions of the executive branch and the Roma organizations, has drown up a good option for the strategic part of the document, and at the moment they finalize an Action Plan as annex to it. The National Roma Strategy will be adopted by the Council for Development, which will make it part of the National program for development "Bulgaria 2020" and will then be proposed in the National Assembly: there is political will to make this a reality.

Dr. Kunchev, representative of the Ministry of Health underlined that the ministry is willing to work with Roma organizations and makes it. The three successful practices, which so far have been identified - health mediators, health and social centers and the program to support the Roma medical students have to find its place in the National Roma strategy. But there is a need of their very seriously expansion in a national scale - hundreds mediators are needed, health-social centers in each municipality and thousands of Roma in the medical universities. For this the Ministry of Finance must be committed, Dr. Kunchev said.

Discussions were oriented around the three referred successful practices. Milena Ilieva from "World without borders" Association presented the activities of health-social centers in Roma community. The impact of their activity is indisputable, cited many of those present representatives of regional health inspections. But the main problem is  that their financing is only from the Global Fund and will be terminated in 2014. That is why it is necessary to formulate an innovative social service, based on the Community (similar to the Center for public support), which has to be licensed by MLSP and to become a state-delegated activity.

Petar Tsvetanov, chairman of the national network of health mediators presented the position of Roma health mediator. We want to hire health mediators, because we are convinced in the effect of their activities, but there is no training and the budget for them, declared representatives of the local authorities. Rositza Ivanova explained that NCCEII has done everything possible to increase state budget for health mediators from 105 of 130 people, but the proposal has not been supported by the Minister of Finance. That is why municipalities must set aside their own resources for this position, and some have already made it. In terms of crisis we have no means even for the salaries of municipal employees, it is impossible to hire new people, shared a representative of Radnevo municipality and insisted that in the Action Plan to the National Roma Strategy the increase of the number of the health mediators to be guaranteed with an appropriate budget.

Radostina Chaprazova from "Open Society" Institute – Sofia presented the program for support of Roma medical students. Her words were supported by Miroslav Angelov, Hristina Velcheva and Sevda Hristova- students, who shared the opportunities the program gives them. They pointed out that they are ready to return to work in their communities and are currently being included as volunteers in activities to reduce the drop out of Roma children from school. This is the last year, in which the program is financed by Open Society Institute and it is necessary  to be supported by the Bulgarian institutions - not only with words, but also with realistic means, underlined R. Chaprazova

The problem with people without health insurance was presented as a very important issue to be solved. The additional restrictions in the recent years have increased the number of persons without health insurance, which jeopardize the entire health insurance system. In this connection sub-group Health care to the Inter-department working group elaborating the National Roma Strategy has made concrete proposals to increase the number of people with health insurance, explained Gancho Iliev. Participants also suggested numerous options in this direction.

These proposals will be systematized and included into the action plan assured Gancho Iliev who is a participant in the sub-group for Health care to the inter-department working group. A serious work on the budgeting and its planning is ahead of us, he said.

The forum was part of a cycle of national conferences, organized with the support of the program "Roma initiatives" to the "Open Society" Institute - Budapest.