Health equity for Romani people in the context of Europe’s recovery and resilience

In response to the pandemic, the European Commission created the Recovery and Resilience Facility- a mechanism aiming to support national governments to mitigate the social and economic consequences of the pandemic. However, growing evidence, including civil society reports, demonstrates lower investment in vulnerable groups which experienced disproportionate public health, social and economic effects of the pandemic.

COVID-19 contributed to the development of wider disparities between Roma and the general population and exacerbated poverty and social exclusion, therefore, revealing that long-standing inequalities leave society and the economy vulnerable to crises. This lesson learned from the pandemic needs to be integrated into policy measures aiming to ensure Europe’s recovery and bring an end to health and social disparities for generations to come.

This event, organised jointly by EPHA and Eurodiaconia aims to provide a critical analysis of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans and how they address the needs of the Roma population in a post-COVID context. Taking place during Roma Week 2021, the discussion also aims to provide a space for structured dialogue between European and national policymakers, civil society organisations, service providers, and Roma advocates involved in the design of national and local policies to build health equity.