The Minister for Children, Sashi Kiran, has raised serious concerns over child safety and wellbeing, revealing that 850 teenage pregnancy cases were recorded in 2024.
While speaking at the Save the Children Fiji’s Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Day, Kiran emphasises that more than 4,000 child sexual offences were recorded over a five-year period between 2020 and 2025, making them the most reported category of crime committed against children.
She further highlighted that 10,000 cases of child neglect were received over the past five years, underlining the urgent need for children to grow and thrive without fear.
Kiran stressed that this data indicates children are not safe even in their own homes.
She also points to the findings of the Multidimensional Poverty Report, which shows that nutrition is one of the most critical concerns among children, with 56.1 percent of infants not exclusively breastfed and 58.1 percent of young children not receiving meals that meet international standards for quantity and variety.
Kiran stresses that many young parents feed their children processed food without understanding the value of proper nutrition.
She calls on all faith leaders to initiate conversations and offer a helping hand to families and children in need.
