World Health Organization Celebrates World Drowning Prevention Day Under the Slogan “No One Should Drown”

World Health Organization Celebrates World Drowning Prevention Day Under the Slogan “No One Should Drown”

The World Health Organization (WHO) marks July 25th every year as World Drowning Prevention Day. The theme for this year’s World Drowning Prevention Day is “Anyone Can Drown, But No One Should Drown.” To commemorate this day, WHO continues to raise awareness about drowning as a public health issue, reminding everyone of what can be done to prevent drowning.

The World Drowning Prevention Day was officially declared on April 28, 2021, by the United Nations General Assembly. This global event provides an opportunity to shed light on the devastating impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer life-saving solutions for prevention.

Over the past decade, drowning has claimed the lives of more than 2.5 million people worldwide. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO, more than 15,000 people drown annually, with over 50% of these fatalities occurring among children under the age of fifteen. Additionally, more than one-third of all child drowning deaths happen to children under five years old. Drowning ranks among the top ten causes of death for children aged 5 to 14 and is one of the top five causes of death among male adolescents in the region. The human, social, and economic losses from drowning are unacceptable and preventable.

This year’s World Drowning Prevention Day holds greater significance as the World Health Assembly adopted a historic resolution to accelerate global drowning prevention efforts. Through this resolution, WHO commits to a series of initiatives aimed at advancing global drowning prevention by 2029.

One of the key initiatives is the development of the first-ever Global Report on Drowning Status, with active participation from countries worldwide, including the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The report will provide crucial information for policymakers and program managers to guide the implementation of low-cost, scalable, and effective drowning prevention interventions. The information from each country can further help identify national priorities for drowning prevention and enable the organization to provide tailor-made support for each country.

Another significant initiative is the establishment of the Global Drowning Prevention Alliance, which was commissioned by the aforementioned World Health Assembly. The alliance is a network of partners working together to coordinate, enhance, and expand drowning prevention efforts and support.

WHO has also released justifications for investing in drowning prevention. These justifications reveal that by 2050, increasing global investment in just two drowning prevention measures – providing childcare for pre-school children and teaching school-age children basic swimming skills – can save the lives of over 774,000 children, prevent nearly one million non-fatal drowning cases in children, avoid severe and life-restricting injuries to around 178,000 non-fatal drowning victims. Additionally, this investment can prevent potential economic losses of over 400 billion USD in low- and middle-income burdened countries and generate cumulative benefits estimated at around 9 USD for every 1 USD invested.

World Drowning Prevention Day should not be a one-day event, but rather a continuous effort to maintain momentum and increase awareness about drowning prevention for everyone, everywhere.