Drowning: An Overlooked Public Health Crisis

• Drowning is a leading cause of death globally, with rising seas, cities, poverty, and displacement contributing to the increase in drowning deaths.
• Children under 10 and adolescents, who account for half of all drowning deaths, are at the most risk.
• In Vietnam, Uganda, Florida, India, and Bangladesh, children drown in rivers, lakes, swimming pools, hot tubs, and at home.
• Drownings also occur from water transport accidents, people trapped in cars during city floods, and women drawing water from dangerous sources.
• Every hour, at least 42 people drown, with 2,36,000 lives lost to drowning every year, with almost 82,000 being children aged 1 to 14 years.
• Drowning deaths are largely under-reported and neglected, with data paucity excluding incidents of intentional drowning and water transport accidents.
• The burden of drowning is four or five times higher than current estimates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and over 50% in all countries, irrespective of income.
• The first-ever global report on drowning prevention was published by WHO in 2014, leading to several countries adopting water safety plans.
• Global data shows that 90% of all drowning deaths occur in LMICs, with the poor and minority communities more likely to die due to drowning.
• The drowning prevention journey will be long, requiring resources, systemic fixes, and multi-sectoral cooperation.