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COVID-19 has exacerbated the vulnerability of the Roma communities in Europe. However, these communities have a strong sense of resilience, and the role of Roma women must be highlighted since they have historically nurtured solidarity networks even in the most challenging situations. Aim: A particular action organized by a Roma Association of Women is analyzed: the Roma Women Students’ Gathering (RWSG, or gathering). In its 19th edition, this democratic space aimed at tackling the challenges the pandemic has raised and its impact on the Roma communities. Method: The 19th RWSG, which was the first one held online, was inductively analyzed to gain a deeper understanding of the key aspects that the Roma women highlight when they organize themselves. Results: RWSG generates optimal conditions where Roma women identify the challenges affecting their community and, drawing on the dialogues shared, agree on strategies to contest them. RWSG also enhanced solidarity interactions that enabled the conquering of the virtual space, transforming it into an additional space where the Roma could help each other and thus better navigate the uncertainties unleashed by COVID-19. Key features of the Roma culture emerged in these spaces of solidarity, such as protecting the elderly and prioritizing community wellbeing rather than only the individual’s preferences. Conclusions: Roma women play a key role in weaving an organized response to the uncertainty derived from COVID-19, and connecting them to the public sphere, potentially achieving social and political impacts.

The Roma community (RC) has poor health indicators, and providing them with adequate healthcare requires understanding their culture and cultural differences. Our objective was to understand the concept of the health and sickness of the RC in Spain, and for this, a qualitative study was conducted. A content analysis utilizing an inductive approach was used to analyze the data. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were performed, and four main categories were obtained after the analysis of the data: perception of the state of health, the value of health, what was observed, and causal attribution. The inter-relations between the categories shows that the RC have a dichotomous worldview split between non-sickness (health) and sickness mediated by causal attribution. Their worldview is polarized into two values: not sick/sick. When not sick, optimism is prioritized along with happiness, and these two emotions are highly valued, as they also play a physical and social function. When a person becomes noticeably sick, this is understood as being in a negative and severe state, and when there are visible physical implications, then the need to act is made clear. When faced with the need to act, the behavior of the RC is mediated by causal attributions, influenced by nature and religion, timing, concealment by not mentioning the disease, and the origin of the healthcare information. For the organization of an adequate health response for the RC, it is necessary for healthcare systems to be able to merge culture and health care.

Poverty threatens psychosocial health, especially when intersecting with minority identities such as ethnicity. Within the Roma community, discrimination, prejudice, and stigma create particularly adverse environments. This cross-sectional study compares psychosocial health between Roma and non-Roma individuals living in poverty. The sample includes 317 participants (202 non-Roma and 115 Roma), aged 18–71. Significant differences (p < 0.001) were found in psychological distress (non-Roma higher), self-stigma (Roma higher), social support (Roma higher), and resilience (Roma higher). Roma identity predicts lower distress. Discrimination impacts self-stigma, shaped by social prejudice. Higher resilience and social support in Roma communities act as protective factors. These findings highlight the need for public policies that address these populations’ needs and help reduce stigma and discrimination.

Whereas the topic of the ‘cultural sensitivity’ of healthcare systems has been addressed extensively in the US and the UK, literature on the subject in most European countries, specifically looking at the situation of Roma, is still scarce. Drawing on qualitative research conducted mainly in the city of Barcelona under the communicative approach with Roma subjects who have stable socioeconomic positions and higher cultural capitals (end-users, professionals of the healthcare system, and key informants of a regional policy oriented to the improvement of Roma living conditions), the present study aims to fill this gap. We explore the barriers that the Roma face in accessing the healthcare system, reflecting on how these barriers are accentuated by the existing anti-Roma prejudices and institutional arrangements that do not account for minority cultures. Our results point out a series of obstacles at two levels, in the interaction with healthcare professionals, and in relation to existing institutional arrangements, which prevent Roma families from having equal access to the healthcare system. Education stands up as a mechanism to contest anti-Roma sentiments among healthcare professionals.

El presente trabajo pretende estudiar el proceso de romanización durante el gobierno de Tiberio mediante una emisión de moneda provincial de Calagurris en el territorio de los vascones. Para ello, presentamos un análisis acerca de los elementos importantes que se muestran en la moneda: el título imperial en el anverso, la iconografía y los dos duoviri mencionados en el reverso.

This article addresses the role of evangelicalism as a means of overcoming the trauma caused by natural disaster or disease. Using an ethnographic approach, it examines the connection between the beliefs of Roma in the Asparukhovo neigh-bourhood of the Bulgarian city of Varna and the hazards from which they suffered: the flood in June 2014 and Covid-19 during its first wave in 2020. People make sense of tragedy using different interpretations. It is seen as a form of divine punishment, a test for religious people, or it is associated with human negligence. Disaster provokes a variety of reactions among evangelical Christians, ranging from solidarity to distrust. Most importantly, their religious practice provides them with survival tactics and a direction to follow after catastrophe has disrupted their routine.

Objectives We investigated whether the severely disadvantaged health of Hungarian Roma adults living in segregated settlements changed by the Decade of Roma Inclusion program. Methods We compared the results of two paired health interview surveys that we carried out using the same methodology before and after the Decade, on the general Hungarian and Roma populations. Results Self-perceived health status of younger Roma worsened, while it improved among older Roma. Reported experience of discrimination reduced considerably and health care utilization improved in general. Positive changes in smoking and nutrition, and negative changes in alcohol consumption and overweight were observed. Many of observed changes can plausibly be linked to various government policies, including a quadrupling of public works expenditure, banning smoking in public places, restricting marketing of tobacco products, increasing cigarette prices, and a new tax on unhealthy foods. Liberalization of rules on alcohol distillation coincided with worsening alcohol consumption. Conclusions We have shown that Roma remain severely disadvantaged and present an innovative sampling method which can be used to monitor changes in groups where identification is a challenge.

Background Romas and Irish Travellers are two distinct, traditionally nomadic ethnicities of people who experience lower socioeconomic position and social exclusion. This occurs within the context of long-term attempts to maintain their traditional culture. They are known to have significantly worse health outcomes than the general population. This systematic review identified and appraised the existing literature on the mental health status of Romas and Travellers, as well as suicidality in these communities. It aimed to determine how their mental health status compares to that of the general population and propose mechanisms for any differences observed. Methods All databases on OVID were searched using three search strings for relevant articles, which were then manually screened to ensure that they were relevant. All studies included were assessed for quality standards. Results The evidence shows that Romas/Travellers have a far higher prevalence of mental health problems than the general population. The most recent evidence suggests Romas/Travellers have a higher rate of suicide compared to any other ethnicity in the UK. A range of factors were associated with this disparity, including socioeconomic deprivation (issues with housing, education/employment, and discrimination), poor physical health, and barriers to accessing healthcare. Women faced worse mental health outcomes, possibly due to enforced gender roles, early marriage, and domestic violence. Conclusions Romas/Travellers face higher rates of mental illness and suicidality, which is largely multifactorial in nature. Significant stigma around mental health and suicide still exists in these communities, making it difficult for affected individuals to seek help. Community-based, targeted interventions are urgently needed to alleviate the harmful impacts of poor mental health and suicide on these communities.

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynecological cancer, leading to over 152,000 deaths each year. A late diagnosis is the primary factor causing a poor prognosis of ovarian cancer and often occurs due to a lack of specific symptoms and effective biomarkers for an early detection. Currently, cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is the most widely used biomarker for ovarian cancer detection, but this approach is limited by a low specificity. In recent years, multimarker panels have been developed by combining molecular biomarkers such as human epididymis secretory protein 4 (HE4), ultrasound results, or menopausal status to improve the diagnostic efficacy. The risk of ovarian malignancy algorithm (ROMA), the risk of malignancy index (RMI), and OVA1 assays have also been clinically used with improved sensitivity and specificity. Ongoing investigations into novel biomarkers such as autoantibodies, ctDNAs, miRNAs, and DNA methylation signatures continue to aim to provide earlier detection methods for ovarian cancer. This paper reviews recent advancements in molecular biomarkers for the early detection of ovarian cancer.