In Bulgaria, where the mortality rate of women in labour and the rate of abortion are twice as high as in the rest of Europe (almost one third of pregnancies are aborted in Bulgaria), the most marginalised groups are the most at risk. 

«The abortion rate is twice as high as in the rest of Europe.»

In Sliven, in the Nadejda ghetto, access to care is particularly difficult for the marginalised Roma who live in conditions of extreme hardship. 77% of them are not covered by social security.  In 2014, the hospital at Sliven dealt with 185 girls between the ages of 12 and 17 years old who were giving birth. And although abortion is legal in Bulgaria, it is still expensive and therefore, just like contraception, it is out of reach for the vast majority of those living in  Nadejda. 

Bulgaria has not been spared from the current migrant crisis in Europe and faces significant numbers of asylum seekers. They have grown in number from 800 to over 5,500 between the summer and winter of 2016. They face violent reactions, with civil society taking a very negative view of their presence in Bulgaria. Upon arrival, the migrants are accommodated in one of the country’s six reception and registration centres, (RRC), in overcrowded, unhealthy conditions with poor standards of hygiene. The very limited number of doctors present greatly reduces access to care.