Globally, drowning ranks as the sixth leading cause of death for individuals aged 5-14 years

Drowning is an often overlooked yet deadly public health concern, resulting in over 2.5 million deaths in the past decade, with a concerning 90 percent of these fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Children aged 1–4 years and 5–9 years have the highest drowning rates across all age groups, emphasizing the urgent need for immediate action to safeguard future generations.

Globally, drowning ranks as the sixth leading cause of death for individuals aged 5-14 years. In four out of the six WHO regions, drowning stands among the top 10 causes of death for those under 25 years old.

Survivors of drowning often suffer severe brain damage and long-term disability, presenting significant challenges in terms of care and financial burdens, particularly in high-burden countries.

Some drowning victims never reach medical facilities, leading to unreported deaths. Cultural practices like rapid burial of drowning victims also contribute to the under-reporting of drowning-related deaths.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4 in the USA in July. Every month in the United States there are an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings—that is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day – and 8,000 nonfatal drownings—making an average of 22 nonfatal drownings per day.

Similarly, for every child under age 18 who dies from drowning, another 7 receive emergency department care for nonfatal drowning.

Forty percent of drownings treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care (compared with 10 percent for all unintentional injuries).

On this year’s World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the WHO released a report that makes a case for increased global investment in just two measures that could save the lives of over 774 000 children, prevent close to 1 million non-fatal child drownings, and avert severe and life-limiting injuries for 178 000 drowning victims.

They include investment in daycare for preschool-aged children and teaching basic swim skills to school-age children.

Investing in drowning prevention has never been more crucial, and the economic returns from such investments are now better understood. Annually, nearly 236,000 deaths are attributed to drowning, and scaling interventions to cover just 50 percent of populations in high-burden countries could prevent many of these fatalities. Moreover, these estimates are conservative, and the actual benefits could be even greater.

The investment, WHO says, could prevent potential economic losses of over $400 billion in low- and middle-income countries with high drowning burdens, providing cumulative benefits valued at around $9 for every $1 invested.

Several countries, including Bangladesh, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam, have already embraced these cost-effective interventions, benefiting children and families by reducing their risk of drowning and offering new opportunities for improved health, development, and well-being.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries and partners to join hands in making drowning prevention a global priority through the implementation of effective preventive measures, increased investments, and awareness campaigns.

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Drowning prevention resolution

In May 2023, the World Health Assembly (WHA) adopted its first-ever resolution on drowning prevention. This resolution calls on the WHO to lead efforts within the United Nations system to prevent drowning and facilitate the observance of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25th each year.

As requested in the WHA resolution, the WHO is launching the Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention. The Alliance is a network of partners working together to coordinate, strengthen, enhance, and expand efforts to prevent drowning deaths in alignment with WHO’s priorities. The Alliance is guided by principles such as alignment and coordination, agility and responsiveness, driving country-level action, transparency, evidence-based approaches, and coordination among interested parties.

“Over the past decade, drowning has killed more than 2.5 million people,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and World Health Organization Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries. “Bloomberg Philanthropies has been working with our partners to implement proven life-saving solutions, like teaching basic swimming survival skills and providing child care. Now, by bringing together governments and partners from around the world, we can help spread this work and save many more lives.”

Also Read: 236,000 people die of drowning annually