A total of 823 cases of teenage pregnancy cases have been recorded for last year in the main Government Hospitals around the country with statistics still coming in from the various sub divisions.

Health Ministry Adolescent Health project officer Sister Sulueti Duvaga said that the Ministry has managed to record this number through their IT system set up in the main centres and are manually getting data from other health centres as well.

For 2008 out of the 1186 cases reported, Suva had recorded the highest number of 358 young women between the ages of 13-19 years of age giving birth, while Macuata reported 153 cases.

Sister Duvaga had earlier attributed the cases to either rape, abuse of alcohol and drugs as well as lack of awareness and parental guidance.

A detailed report from the main divisional hospitals is expected to be released on Monday.