A senior official from the Methodist Church in Fiji has stated that the alarming increase in teenage pregnancies should not be blamed solely on the church, but rather seen as a collective issue that requires a unified response. Reverend Jolame Lasawa, the General Secretary of the church, emphasized the importance of shared responsibility in addressing the issue, particularly in light of rising teenage pregnancy rates following major events and school breaks.
His remarks were in response to the concern raised by Opposition Member of Parliament and Shadow Minister for Health, Penioni Ravunawa, during the ongoing Term Two break for primary and secondary school students, a time when many community events, including church conferences and youth camps, are held across the nation.
According to the Ministry of Health’s Health Information Unit, there were a total of 1,279 reported cases of teenage pregnancies from 2018 to 2021. This figure includes 1,057 cases among iTaukei, 178 cases among Indo-Fijians, and 44 cases from other ethnic backgrounds. Reverend Lasawa pointed out that teenage pregnancy is a widespread problem affecting both schools and village communities.
Analysis of the statistics indicates that the Central Division recorded the highest number of cases at 636, followed by the Western Division with 350 cases, the Northern Division with 60 cases, and the Eastern Division with 11 cases. Reverend Lasawa mentioned that the church is actively working through its education and youth departments to tackle issues related to teenage pregnancy. He noted that while the church often faces criticism, addressing this challenge is a shared responsibility.
Opposition MP Ravunawa highlighted the serious implications of teenage pregnancies, stating that they contribute to high dropout rates among high school females, increase health and foster care costs, and pose various developmental challenges for children born to teenage mothers. He also pointed out that infants born to teen mothers are at a higher risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and even increased mortality rates.