The United Nations(UN)’s World Drowning Prevention Day will be annually observed across the globe on 25th July starting from 2021. The day aims to highlight the impacts of death by drowning on families and communities and to provide solutions to prevent death by drowning.
- 25th July 2021 marks the observance of the first-ever World Drowning Prevention Day.
- The World Health Organisation(WHO) hosted the global launch event of World Drowning Prevention Day. WHO also produces the World Drowning Prevention day related advocacy materials
The theme of World Drowning Prevention Day is “Anyone Can Drown, No One Should”.
Background:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/75/273 on 28th April 2021 and proclaimed the 25th July of every year as World Drowning Prevention Day.
- The resolution also invited the WHO to coordinate the actions on drowning prevention within the UN system.
Drowning:
i.Drowning is the 3rd most leading cause of unintentional injury death which accounts for more than 7% of all injury-related deaths.Drowning has been the cause of over 2.5 million preventable deaths in the past decade.
ii.Children, males and individuals with increased access to water are at risk of drowning.
iii.More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.
It is estimated that annually more than 236000 people drown.
Measures to prevent drowning:
- Controlling the access to water by installing barriers.
- Providing a safe place (away from water) for crèches for pre-school children with required childcare.
- Teaching swimming and Educating about water safety and rescue skills.
- Training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation.
- Enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations
- Improving flood risk management.
Global Report on Drowning:
i.WHO released its 1st Regional Assessment on Drawing Prevention: Regional Status Report on Drowning Prevention in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions.
ii.WHO released a report titled “Global report on drowning: preventing a leading killer” in November 2014 and Preventing drowning: an implementation guide in May 2017
iii.This was WHO’s the first-ever report dedicated exclusively to drowning.
About World Health Organisation(WHO):
Director General– Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
Founded in– 1948
