This was revealed in a 2009 HIV and STI report released by Dr. Dennie Iniakwala, from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s HIV and STI or sexually transmitted infection project.
The report highlighted that almost 50 percent of teenagers aged between 15 and 19 were infected.
The report was released in Cook Islands recently with Chlamydia as the highest amongst teenagers in the region.
Iniakwala told Radio Australia Pacific Beat the high rates were due to young people being highly sexually active and not practicing safe sex.
He said since the statistics were gathered two years ago, there had been a shift in the way authorities tackled STIs.
“Basically we are looking not only at treatment, diagnosis, and care, but also a comprehensive strategic health communication approach in communities, and encouraging people to be tested, as well as taking preventative measures.”
Other island nations highlighted in the 2009 report included Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Fiji, Palau and Federated States of Micronesia to name a few.
The Ministry of Health said it is currently working hard to provide awareness to educate youths of the current STI and HIV/AIDS status in the country.
Solomon Islands has 15 confirmed number of HIV/AIDS cases.
According to recent reports from the Ministry of Health, from the 15 cases, six have died while seven of them are on treatment and two of them are still at the monitoring stage.
The Solomon Islands recorded its first case of HIV/AIDS in 1994 and recorded its second case in 2004.
However, this result did not reflect the actual number of people infected by HIV in the country because not everyone has had their blood tested for the virus.
