The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first-ever report on drowning prevention, revealing a significant global health achievement: a 38% drop in drowning deaths since 2000. Despite this progress, drowning remains a major public health issue. Over 300,000 deaths were reported in 2021 alone. This means more than 30 people drown every hour. This highlights the urgent need for action. We must address the continuing risk. This is particularly true in low- and middle-income countries where the majority of drowning deaths occur.
Although the global drowning death rate has decreased, the problem remains particularly concerning for certain age groups. Nearly half of all such deaths occur among people under 29. A quarter of these deaths are among children under 5 years old. WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphasized that, while progress is encouraging, every such death is a tragedy. “This report holds crucial data for policy-making and recommendations for urgent action to save lives,” he stated.
Progress in reducing drowning deaths has been uneven across regions. For example, the WHO European Region experienced a 68% decrease in drowning deaths between 2000 and 2021. In contrast, the WHO African Region saw only a modest 3% decline. This region continues to face the highest drowning death rate globally, with 5.6 deaths per 100,000 people. The disparity can be attributed to varying levels of national commitment. Only 15% of African countries have a national drowning prevention strategy. This is compared to 45% in Europe.
WHO’S PREVENTION RECOMMENDATIONS
The WHO report outlines several key interventions. These interventions have proven effective in reducing drowning deaths. Yet, their implementation is inconsistent across nations. WHO recommends:
- Installing barriers to prevent children from accessing water.
- Providing safe spaces away from water for preschool children.
- Teaching basic swimming and water safety skills to school-age children.
- Training individuals in rescue and resuscitation techniques.
- Increasing public awareness about its risks.
- Setting and enforcing safe boating regulations.
- Improving flood risk management.
While 73% of countries have established search and rescue services, only 33% offer national programs to train bystanders in rescue and resuscitation. Just 22% integrate swimming and water safety training into school curricula.
POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE GAPS
The report also highlights policy and legislative gaps in drowning prevention. Most countries have laws to ensure passenger safety on boats (81%). But, only 44% mandate regular safety inspections. Additionally, 66% require lifejacket use for recreational boating. Alarmingly, 86% of countries lack laws requiring fencing around swimming pools—an essential measure to prevent child drowning.
Additionally, data collection remains a critical challenge. Only 65% of countries report drowning data through vital statistics systems, limiting the effectiveness of targeted prevention efforts.
THE WAY FORWARD: A GLOBAL CALL FOR ACTION
The WHO’s report emphasizes the need for a coordinated, whole-of-society response to combat drowning. It focuses on collaboration and investment to protect the most vulnerable. With projections showing that 7.2 million people could die by drowning by 2050 if current trends continue, the report highlights that such deaths are a preventable tragedy.
Michael R. Bloomberg, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, emphasized that governments must collaborate with local partners. This collaboration is crucial to implement effective prevention measures. By making the WHO-recommended interventions widespread, millions of lives can be saved annually.
As the world looks to the future, it’s clear that progress in reducing drowning deaths is encouraging. Yet, there’s still much more to be done. We need to achieve global equity in drowning prevention.
