Riya Mala 
The New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, Charlotte Darlow, says that sexual health needs are being prioritized because they are a core part of public health.
She adds that sexual health is essential for the well-being of communities, the country’s future, and its democratic development, and it cannot be separated from other pressing challenges.
Darlow also says that New Zealand will work with the United Nations Population Fund to enhance efforts in providing better sexual and reproductive health services to women and young girls.
“The purpose of this particular piece of work is to make sure that we are looking to build our resilient communities from that earliest moment of reproductive rights because we know that by getting that right, that gives our children a strong foundation to start, it gives our mothers a strong foundation.”
Darlow says that decades ago in her career, she had the privilege of working in the Human Rights Council on maternal mortality resolutions, and she regrets that many of the statistics have not improved since that time.
However, she emphasizes that the commitment to improving outcomes for mothers during their reproductive years has not wavered.
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