The increasing rate of teenage pregnancies in Fiji should not be blamed entirely on the church, but rather viewed as a shared responsibility, according to a prominent official from the Methodist Church. Reverend Jolame Lasawa, the General Secretary of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, pointed out that addressing teenage pregnancy requires a collective effort instead of singling out any one group.
His remarks come in light of recent high rates of teenage pregnancies noted following significant social events and during school holidays. Opposition Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Health and Medical Services, Penioni Ravunawa, raised concerns about this issue during the ongoing Term Two school break, which has led to various events throughout the nation, including church conferences, youth camps, and festivals.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health’s Health Information Unit indicate that there were 1,279 cases of teenage pregnancies reported from 2018 to 2021. Of these cases, 1,057 involved iTaukei individuals, while 178 were Indo-Fijians, and 44 came from other ethnic backgrounds. Reverend Lasawa highlighted that teenage pregnancy is a widespread problem affecting not only schools but also rural communities.
According to the data, the Central Division experienced the highest number of cases at 636, followed by 350 in the Western Division, 60 in the Northern Division, and 11 in the Eastern Division. Reverend Lasawa acknowledged the proactive efforts of the church’s education and youth departments in tackling teenage pregnancy issues while emphasizing that the responsibility lies with all sectors of society.
MP Ravunawa added that teenage pregnancies and childbirth contribute to elevated dropout rates among high school females, increased health and foster care expenses, and various developmental challenges for children born to teen mothers. He noted that babies born to teenage mothers face a heightened risk of being born prematurely, having low birth weight, and suffering a higher risk of mortality.