The Ministry of Health and Medical Services has reaffirmed its commitment to improving women’s and girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, stressing its importance for human rights, health, gender equality, and economic growth.

Assistant Minister for Health Penioni Ravunawa, speaking at the launch of the Advancing Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health Project, highlighted concerning SRH trends, including rising fertility rates, high unmet family planning needs, and increasing adolescent births in several countries.

The project will be implemented in three Pacific Island nations Fiji, Vanuatu, and Tonga with New Zealand providing initial funding of NZD 2.6 million.

He adds that the regional average for the maternal mortality ratio remains significantly higher than the SDG target of 70 per 100,000 live births.

“The SDG aspirations are incorporated into Pacific regional frameworks, such as the Pacific Sexual Health and Wellbeing Shared Agenda and the 2050 Pacific Blue Strategy Implementation Plan. Despite these commitments, progress in the Pacific region has been limited, and in some cases, stagnant.”

Ravunawa says the region faces increasing challenges from the rising threat of HIV, with countries encountering shared barriers such as geographical dispersion, limited healthcare resources, and deep-rooted socio-cultural stigmas that hinder the effective delivery of SRMNAH services.

He adds that to promote better reproductive health for women and girls in the country, all health facilities in Fiji provide free family planning services, with increasing access to modern contraceptive methods.

Ravunawa emphasizes that this project is crucial and timely, but its success will depend on strong collaboration.

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