On World Drowning Prevention Day this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) is unveiling an investment case on drowning prevention, demonstrating how two crucial actions could save millions of lives. By investing in day care for pre-school aged children and providing basic swim skills to school-age children, the potential benefits are enormous, with each dollar invested generating up to nine times its original value.
Drowning remains a largely overlooked yet devastating public health issue, responsible for over 2.5 million deaths in the past decade. Alarmingly, 90% of these fatalities occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Children between the ages of 1 to 4 years and 5 to 9 years face the highest drowning rates, highlighting the urgent need for immediate action to protect future generations.
Thankfully, effective solutions are within reach. The new investment case reveals that by 2050, increased global investment in these two measures could save the lives of more than 774,000 children, prevent nearly 1 million non-fatal child drownings, and spare 178,000 individuals from severe and life-limiting injuries due to drowning.
These investments could prevent potential economic losses exceeding US$400 billion in low- and middle-income countries with high drowning burdens, while generating cumulative benefits valued at around US$9 for every US$1 invested. Countries like Bangladesh, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam have already embraced these cost-effective interventions, benefitting children and their families by reducing the risk of drowning and simultaneously fostering improved health, development, and overall well-being.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed the importance of implementing effective preventive measures, increasing investments, and promoting awareness to save countless lives. On World Drowning Prevention Day, he called on countries and partners to unite in making drowning prevention a global priority.
In May 2023, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted its inaugural resolution on drowning prevention. The resolution designated WHO to lead efforts within the United Nations system to prevent drowning and commemorate World Drowning Prevention Day on 25 July each year.
In response to the WHA resolution, WHO is launching the Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention, a network of partners collaborating to coordinate, strengthen, enhance, and expand efforts to prevent drowning deaths, in alignment with WHO’s priorities. The Alliance operates under the principles of alignment and coordination, agility and responsiveness, driving country-level action, transparency, evidence-based approaches, and coordination among interested parties.
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, emphasized the urgency of addressing this issue, given that drowning has claimed the lives of over 2.5 million people in the past decade. Bloomberg Philanthropies, along with its partners, has been actively implementing proven life-saving solutions, such as teaching basic swimming survival skills and providing child care. With the collaboration of governments and partners worldwide, the aim is to expand these efforts and save many more lives.
WHO is preparing a global status report on drowning prevention, aiming to comprehensively understand the impact of drowning and analyze government actions on a global scale. This report will provide crucial information for policy-makers and program managers, catalyzing more action to implement low-cost, scalable, and effective drowning prevention interventions recommended by WHO. All 194 Member States are invited to participate in this endeavor.
