Anuradhapura records a surge in underage pregnancies

Authorities in Anuradhapura have expressed deep concern over a growing number of underage pregnancies.

At a recent meeting of the District Children and Women Development Committee, officials pointed to unsupervised internet use—primarily for academic purposes—as a contributing factor to the problem.

The committee called for tighter regulation of mobile phone usage among children to help address the issue.

In addition, members emphasised the need to improve education for children with special needs and to strengthen child welfare programmes across the district.