The drowning prevention journey will be long, requiring resources, systemic fixes, and multi-sectoral cooperation
The untold tragedy of three IAS aspirants who drowned in the basement of their coaching centre in New Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar is a macabre reminder that anyone can drown, anywhere.
Ironically, this entirely preventable incident, which occurred due to callous negligence and lax regulations, took place two days after countries observed Drowning Prevention Day — a World Health Organization (WHO)-led global event, held annually to raise awareness about this leading cause of death.
Rising seas, maximum cities, spiralling poverty, risky livelihoods, and 120 million forcibly displaced people — along with children making perilous journeys to schools —are all contributing to the increasing frequency of drowning deaths. Studies have warned that in the not so distant future ravaged by cyclones, hurricanes, tsunamis, and floods, our exposure to water will amplify manifold. Children under 10 and adolescents, who already account for half of all drowning deaths, will be the most at risk.
Toll on children
In Vietnam and Uganda, children are dying in rivers and lakes. In Florida, toddlers drown in swimming pools and hot tubs at home. In India, the journey to school each morning can be treacherous — crossing crocodile and snake-infested rivers, navigating through flash floods, or risking capsizing in boats. In Bangladesh, where 43% of child deaths are due to drowning, most children under five drown within 20 metres of their own homes.
Just as little children may slip unnoticed in a village pond or bucket left unattended, adolescents and young adults, particularly males may drown while fishing, boating, or under the influence of alcohol. Drownings also occur from water transport accidents due to unsafe boats and lack of flotation devices, people trapped in cars during city floods, or women drawing water from dangerous sources. Enmeshed in the daily fabric of people’s lives these incidents often do not get the same attention as the colossal tragedy of little Alan Kurdi’s drowning or the heart-wrenching deaths of the El Salvadorian father Oscar Ramirez, and his two-year-old daughter Valeria.
Every hour at least 42 people drown. According to the WHO, 2,36,000 lives are lost to drowning every year and almost 82,000 of them are children aged 1 to 14 years. Despite having a death toll equivalent to two-thirds that of malnutrition and over half that of malaria, drowning remains a largely under-reported and neglected public health issue. Experts fear that available statistics inadequately capture the full extent of the problem. A big reason for this data paucity is the way drowning deaths are counted, excluding incidents of intentional drowning (suicide or homicide) and drowning caused by water transport accidents including the massive toll of refugees and stateless people. Lives lost by drowning during natural disasters like floods or tsunamis are not added to the global toll, even though at least 75% of deaths during floods are by drowning. WHO recognises that adjusted data could reveal that the actual burden is four or five times higher than current estimates in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and over 50% in all countries, irrespective of income.
Different approaches
Drowning deaths as a major public health concern found a voice on the global stage when WHO published the first-ever global report on drowning prevention in 2014. Soon after the implementation framework was published, several studies and pilot projects began. However, the historic moment came in April 2021, when the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on drowning prevention and called for worldwide action.
Several countries have adopted water safety plans. While Australia has focused its attention on its vast coastline and is promoting front-line water safety with surf lifesavers and lifeguards, Vietnam has prioritised swimming lessons for children. Bloomberg Philanthropies partnered with the Government of Vietnam for a national program on drowning which introduced the Swim-Safe curriculum. To graduate, a child must prove they can tread water for 30 seconds and swim unassisted in open water for at least 25 metres. Bangladesh has adopted a community-based model called “Anchal” in which childcare centres are set up to ensure institutional supervision of children aged 1-5 years. This simple model has led to an 88% reduction in drowning deaths among children under four. In December 2023, India joined the club of drowning prevention crusaders with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare releasing a ‘Strategic Framework for Drowning Prevention.’
People have always drowned but it is only recently the global public health community has been calling upon policymakers to view it through the lens of social inequity and not merely as accidental deaths. Global data tells us that 90% of all drowning deaths occur in LMICs. Even in economically developed countries, the poor and minority communities are more likely to die due to drowning.
Like all public health crises, the drowning prevention journey will be long, requiring resources, systemic fixes, and multi-sectoral cooperation. Until then, a rapid response plan with low-cost solutions such as the use of strategic barriers around water bodies, daycare centres for preschool children, teaching children basic swimming skills, and making available safe water transport and floatation devices, could save lives every day.
Source the hindu
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