World Drowning Prevention Day: Water deaths are avoidable

Water is an integral part of our existence. It gives us life, but it can also take it away. Over the past decade, drowning has caused more than 2.5 million preventable deaths. World Drowning Prevention Day, celebrated on July 25, draws attention to the scale of this problem and the possibilities for its prevention, the UN press service reports.

On this day, the World Health Organization emphasizes that drowning can happen to anyone – but the danger can be prevented.

While no one is immune from drowning, the stark contrast between the countries with the highest and lowest risk demonstrates that drowning is not inevitable. Today, more than 90 percent of drownings worldwide occur in low- and middle-income countries. But even in high-income countries, drowning rates among certain age groups and ethnic minorities remain high and require urgent action.

Over the past decade, drowning has claimed more than 2.5 million lives, mostly among children and young adults. In addition, the drowning death rate is more than twice as high for men as for women. Male patients are also more likely to be hospitalized for non-fatal drowning.

The Global Report on Preventing Drowning, published in 2024, describes the scale of drowning deaths worldwide and the progress made in implementing strategies and measures to reduce them. According to the report, drowning deaths have decreased by 38 percent between 2000 and 2021. However, drowning remains a major public health problem, causing more than 300,000 deaths in 2021.

Progress in drowning prevention is encouraging, but the truth is that more than 30 people continue to die in the water every hour. And almost all of these deaths could have been prevented.

WHO offers six proven solutions, along with detailed recommendations for their implementation:

Teaching school-age children basic swimming skills, water safety and drowning first aid.

Providing safe places away from water for preschool children under proper supervision.

Installation of barriers to restrict access to water.

Training potential bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation.

Development and enforcement of safe navigation regulations, including mandatory wearing of life jackets.

Strengthening resilience to floods and other hazards and managing related risks.

While implementation will vary depending on the context, it is vital that the international drowning prevention community acts in a coordinated and consistent manner in implementing these measures.