Karnataka has seen greater than 80,000 teenage pregnancies over the previous three years

Though the state was shocked when a category 9 scholar offers delivery to infants in a college hostel, teenage being pregnant has all the time been a priority in Karnataka. The state has reported an astounding 80,813 teenage pregnancies (kids between the ages of 14 and 19) over the previous three years.

Bengaluru City tops the record with 8,891, whereas Belagavi and Vijayapura proceed with 8,169 and 6,229 respectively.

Excessive and low

Except Kodagh, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have constantly reported the bottom variety of minor pregnancies prior to now three years, whereas North Karnataka districts have discovered that Davangael, Bagalkot, Bali, Bidar, Chitradurga, Haveli, Raikur and Karaburagi are three years of being pregnant throughout being pregnant, respectively. It’s featured within the not too long ago linked session of the Congress.

Knowledge on teen being pregnant by age indicated that the very best was reported within the 18-19-year-old group. 276 have been reported in kids aged 14-15, however since 2023-2024, 786 have been recorded within the 15-16 group. As many as 2,397 pregnancies have been recorded within the 16-17 teams, and 11,136 have been reported within the 17-18 teams.

Surprisingly on the rise in teenage pregnancies within the state, the well being division has stepped up measures by way of stricter enforcement, consciousness campaigns and group intervention, Well being Minister Dinesh Gandu Rao stated.

Beforehand, Prime Minister Siddharamaiah had directed seven key sectors, together with well being, schooling, and girls and youngsters’s improvement, to type a central activity drive to coordinate interventions. The state additionally has a committee operated from the panchayat to district degree and has strengthened its 24/7 kids’s helpline 1098.

“Akka Power”

In response to JD(S) member CB Suresh Babu within the legislative meeting, Laxmi Hebbalkar, Minister of Ladies and Youngster Improvement, stated the federal government has deployed an “Akka Power” initiative to handle the disaster. The initiative is a particular patrol led by feminine cops and supported by NCC cadets, which displays public areas, prevents baby marriages, and offers counseling to susceptible youth. The initiative shall be launched in Mysuru, Belagavi and Mangaluru and can broaden throughout the state, the minister introduced.

The federal government concurrently promotes consciousness of intercourse schooling, cyber security, Pocso legal guidelines in excessive colleges, and makes use of welfare schemes similar to ICDS, Mathrupoorna and Bhagyalakshmi to assist adolescent ladies. The state cupboard not too long ago cleared the ban on the 2025 Youngster Marriage (Karunataka State Modification) invoice.

Social Media Publicity

Consultants attributed this pattern to elements similar to applicable schooling, baby marriage, and early publicity to social media with out lack of expertise about reproductive well being.

Savita C., medical supervisor on the state-run Bani Vilas Hospital, stated teenage being pregnant is a big contributor to the maternal and toddler mortality charges in Karnataka.

She famous that ladies underneath the age of 18 are sometimes bodily and emotionally unprepared for childbirth, growing the chance of mom loss of life and neonatal loss of life. Insufficient prenatal care, coupled with social stigma and lack of entry to healthcare amenities, additional exacerbated the dangers and made teenage being pregnant a critical public well being concern, she argued.

Printed – August 28, 2025 08:23 PM IS