(MENAFN- Caribbean News Global) BELIZE CITY, Belize – A groundbreaking five-year initiative to significantly reduce adolescent pregnancy rates in Belize and Suriname, particularly among Indigenous and Tribal adolescent girls, was officially launched today by the United Nations Population Fund Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean (UNFPA SROC), with CAD 8 million funding by Global Affairs Canada. Despite global progress in reducing adolescent birth rates, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) remains the only region where adolescent pregnancy has not declined in recent decades.

In Belize and Suriname, adolescent fertility rates are among the highest in the Caribbean region- 56.4 and 54.3 births per 1,000 girls aged 15–19, respectively. These rates are significantly higher among Indigenous/Tribal populations, especially in rural and underserved regions such as Toledo, Stann Creek, and Cayo Districts. This disproportionate occurrence of adolescent pregnancies, coupled with poor maternal health outcomes and associated socio-economic disparities, underscores a critical need for intervention in these communities.

Speaking at the launch event, UNFPA liaison officer, Tisa Grant, remarked:

“By implementing the flagship APP Project among Indigenous and Tribal Populations, the project aligns with UNFPA's core mandate of leaving no one behind. The project also aligns with UNFPA's 3 transformative results of ending maternal mortalities, ending unmet need for family planning, and ending gender-based violence, especially among marginalised communities.”

Head of cooperation for Belize and Jamaica at the High Commission of Canada in Kingston, Shehryar Sarwar, said:

“Adolescent pregnancy is not inevitable-it is preventable. With this investment, we are partnering with UNFPA and national stakeholders in Belize to empower adolescent girls to break cycles of poverty, claim their rights, and realise their full potential in line with Canada's core values-including gender equality, diversity, and working with Indigenous communities on sustainable development and prosperity.”

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) Project tackles adolescent pregnancy not just as a public health concern but as a sustainable development and equity issue, one with deep social and economic consequences: disrupted education, lower lifetime earnings, limited labour market access, increased exposure to gender-based violence, and intergenerational poverty.

Research shows that these outcomes are disproportionately experienced by girls from rural, Indigenous, tribal, and low-income communities.

The project broadly operates through three key interconnected pillars:

Ensuring increased availability and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services for adolescents and young women.

Creating an enabling policy environment for adolescents and young women to utilise SRHR services.

Empowering women and girls (both in-school and out-of-school) through Comprehensive Sexuality Education to attain their full potential.

Implementation will be grounded in the UNFPA's strategic plan (2022–2025) and the newly approved 2026–2029 strategic cycle, which prioritises ending unmet need for contraception, preventable maternal deaths, gender-based violence, and promoting demographic resilience. The project also aligns with the Montevideo Consensus on Population and Development, the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and national development plans in Belize and Suriname.

Through strong partnerships with governments, civil society, youth organisations, and community leaders, the APP project aims to reach those most often left behind-ensuring adolescent girls have the tools, information, and services to live healthy, empowered lives. The project is a concrete demonstration of what is possible when evidence, policy, and action come together to promote equity, dignity, gender quality, empowerment, and opportunity for all.

The post UNFPA – Global Affairs Canada launch landmark project to combat adolescent pregnancy in Belize appeared first on Caribbean News Global.

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