Health disparities and marginalization in Bosnia-Herzegovina

The rifts between the three major ethnic groups in Bosnia-Herzegovina often overshadows the plight of Bosnia's most marginalized minority group—the Roma. Bosnian Roma are alternatively despised and ignored by their fellow citizens, severely impacting their access to basic services, including education and health care. This presentation examines the attitudes and perceptions towards health care provision on the state and local level among Bosnian Roma using survey data. The information collected examines Roma perceptions of marginalization, availability and quality of care, homeopathic and natural substitutes for care, and other barriers to access. The information from this study will provide a lens through which Bosnian Roma view their status in society and their perceived agency in acquiring quality care. Once these perceptions are better understood, interventions may be designed to better meet the needs of this population in a cost-effective manner. In addition, this research may be applied to Roma populations in other regions. As a control, this study compares Roma access to care with other ethnic groups in Bosnia, particularly cases in which individuals are denied access to emergency or hospital care based on ethnicity. The study concludes that while the Roma are particularly disenfranchised, the overall problems are systemic. Finally, this presentation examines various proposals to remedy these issues and summarizes the major challenges that face the Bosnian health care system in the immediate future.