Director of the ministry’s mental health unit Dr. Chitramali de Silva told a media briefing that findings of a survey showed 180,000 girls were born a year.

According to her, 140 women die during pregnancy, while 10 deaths are reported due to abortion, which numbers 15,000 a year in total.

In 2013, she, said, 50 pregnant women committed suicide.

Women are under severe mental stress due to poverty, malnutrition, domestic problems, health reasons, harassment and abuse etc.

Dr. de Silva went onto say that around six per cent of girls, aged between 15 and 24 had suicidal tendencies.

To counter these problems, ‘Mithuru Piyasa’ centres have been opened at 22 hospitals to raise mental health awareness among women, she added.