The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka (CCPSL) President Dr. Kapila Jayaratne said that policymakers will be informed to bring a law banning or restricting the use of social media by children under 18, as has been done in some countries.
According to unofficial data, it is reported that nearly 200 children under 18 have committed suicide last year, and that the use of social media may be a reason for these suicides, he said. That is why CCPSL has decided to inform policymakers in this regard,” he added.
He stated this while participating in a Press Briefing held at the Sri Lanka Medical Association Auditorium yesterday.
He said that about 313,000 women in the country become pregnant every year and about 250,000 out of them are reported as live births, but not all of them later become healthy adults.
He said that about 3,300 children under five die annually due to various causes and about 30 percent of children in the country are obese. Dr.Jayaratne further said that community medical specialists are working together to implement the Colombo Declaration to prevent stillbirths.
He said that the implementation of the Colombo Declaration will enable abortion of fetuses with fatal birth defects. Eventhough, efforts have been made to implement this declaration for about 20 years, it has still not been possible so far.
(dailynews.lk)
(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)
