25 July is World Drowning Prevention Day. Drowning deaths are avoidable, yet every year according to the World Health Organization nearly a quarter of a million people lose their lives to drowning, and almost 82 000 of them are children aged 1 to 14 years.
Avoidable Deaths Network works in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. These South Asian countries carry a considerable burden of drowning deaths and injuries and this is a significant public health concern.
According to WHO, South Asia accounts for over 25% of the world’s drowning deaths due to the proximity of water bodies, high population densities, inadequate safety measures, lack of awareness and lack of life-saving skills among the community people.
In Bangladesh, drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4, with approximately 14,000 children drowning annually. Community-led interventions, like creches, swimming teaching, first aid training and awareness campaigns, have been implemented, showing 40% of child fatal drowning reduction in the intervention areas.
India records an estimated 38,000 drowning deaths annually, with the highest incidence during the monsoon season. Under-five year old children are the most vulnerable. Interventions include water safety education and swimming lessons, but these initiatives are yet to reach nationwide.
In Pakistan, drowning data is less comprehensive, but estimates suggest thousands of annual deaths, predominantly among children. Awareness campaigns and community resilience programs are in the early stages, hindered by limited resources and political instability.
WHO recommended that community creches, survival swimming programmes, and community-based first aid training are effective in tackling child drowning in low- and middle-income countries. These countries need strategy and implementation of evidence-based interventions with regular data generation to reduce these avoidable child deaths significantly.
Author’s short bio: Md Shafkat Hossain has over eight years in public health, specializing in project management, research, and evaluation. He currently works on drowning prevention projects and has previously contributed to government health systems, child maltreatment, and healthcare training.