The World Well being Group (WHO) publishes its first-ever report on drowning prevention, which reveals a 38% drop within the international drowning dying charge since 2000-;a serious international well being achievement.
Nonetheless, the report notes that drowning stays a serious public well being challenge with greater than 30 individuals estimated to be drowning each hour and 300 000 individuals dying by drowning in 2021 alone. Virtually half of all drowning deaths happen amongst individuals beneath the age of 29 years, and 1 / 4 happen amongst youngsters below the age of 5 years. Youngsters with out grownup supervision are at an particularly excessive threat of drowning.
The numerous decline in drowning deaths since 2000 is nice information and proof that the easy, sensible interventions that WHO recommends work. Nonetheless, each drowning dying is one dying too many, and thousands and thousands of individuals stay in danger. This report incorporates essential information for policy-making and proposals for pressing motion to avoid wasting lives.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-Common
Progress in lowering drowning has been uneven. On the international stage, 9 in 10 drowning deaths happen in low- and middle-income international locations. The WHO European Area noticed a 68% drop in drowning dying charge between 2000 and 2021, but the speed fell by simply 3% within the WHO African Area, which has the very best charge of any area with 5.6 deaths per 100 000 individuals. This can be influenced by the degrees of nationwide commitments to deal with the difficulty: throughout the African Area, solely 15% of nations had a nationwide technique or plan for drowning prevention, in comparison with 45% of nations within the European Area.
“Drowning continues to be a serious public well being challenge, however progress is feasible, notably if governments work with sturdy companions on the native stage,” mentioned Michael R. Bloomberg, founding father of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO World Ambassador for Noncommunicable Ailments and Accidents, and 108th mayor of New York Metropolis. “For greater than a decade, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported governments and native organizations which are main efficient drowning prevention efforts. This new report exhibits what extra international locations can do to assist save 1000’s of lives yearly.”
Clear steering to cut back deaths outlined however uptake varies
Greater than 7.2 million individuals, primarily youngsters, might die by drowning by the yr 2050 if present traits proceed. But most drowning deaths may very well be prevented by implementing WHO-recommended interventions.
WHO recommends a collection of community-based actions for drowning prevention, which embrace:
- the set up of obstacles to forestall little one entry to water;
- provision of secure locations away from water for pre-school youngsters, instructing school-aged youngsters primary swimming water security and secure rescue abilities;
- coaching individuals in rescue and resuscitation;
- strengthening public consciousness on drowning;
- setting and imposing secure boating, transport and ferry laws; and
- enhancing flood threat administration.
The report discovered WHO’s evidence-based drowning prevention interventions are being applied to various levels.
- Encouragingly, 73% of nations have search and rescue companies, and an extra 73% implement community-based flood threat mitigation programmes
- Nonetheless, solely 33% of nations provide nationwide programmes to coach bystanders in secure rescue and resuscitation, and simply 22% combine swimming and water security coaching into their college curricula
Correct information is essential to tell prevention methods, but solely 65% of nations report gathering drowning information via civil registration and important statistics techniques. High quality information is additional required to compellingly increase consciousness on the difficulty and mobilize governments and communities to take motion.
The report identifies strengths and shortfalls in coverage and laws:
- Whereas 81% of nations have legal guidelines on passenger security for travelling by boat:
- Simply 44% of those legal guidelines require common security inspections of the boats, and
- Solely 66% of nations mandate lifejacket use for leisure boating and transport on water;
- Of concern, 86% of nations lack legal guidelines for fencing round swimming swimming pools, which is essential to stopping little one drowning in sure settings.
This report, developed in response to a Member State request made via World Well being Meeting Decision 76.18 (2023), summarizes achievements and challenges in the direction of drowning prevention on the international stage and gives a benchmark for which progress might be tracked. This complete report highlights that drowning prevention requires a coordinated, whole-of-society response. Via elevated collaboration and funding, these most weak to drowning might be protected to make sure the promising traits presently noticed are skilled uniformly and equitably.
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