The United Nations (UN)’s World Drowning Prevention Day is annually observed across the globe on July 25 to highlight drowning’s global impact, promote life-saving prevention measures, and catalyse global action for water safety.
- July 25, 2025, marks the 5th observance of World Drowning Prevention Day.
Theme:
The 2025 theme for World Drowning Prevention Day is “Your Story Can Save a Life.”
- The theme highlights the importance of personal stories, encouraging survivors and those affected by water-related tragedies to share their experiences to help others learn, take action, and support those dealing with fear or loss.
Background:
UNGA Resolution: On 28th April 2021, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/75/273 on global drowning prevention, officially declaring 25th July every year as World Drowning Prevention Day.
1st Observance:World Drowning Prevention Day was marked for the first time on 25 July 2021.
Global Collaboration: The 76th World Health Assembly (May 2023) adopted the first resolution on drowning prevention, titled “Accelerating Action on Global Drowning Prevention”.
- This resolution, proposed by the governments of Bangladesh and Ireland and co-sponsored by at least 72 Member States, requests governments and partners to escalate action through 2029.
Critical Global Statistics on Drowning:
Global Burden: Around 2,36,000 people die from drowning every year across the globe, which means an average of 650 deaths per day or 26 deaths per hour.
- Drowning ranks among the top 10 causes of death for individuals aged 1–24 years.
- It is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths, accounting for 7% of all injury-related mortality worldwide.
Regional Disparities:
- Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): Suffer >90% of drowning deaths, often in rivers, lakes, wells, or domestic water storage vessels.
- Western Pacific Region (WPR): Bears 30% of global drowning deaths, with an estimated 84,000 deaths annually. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 5–14 years in this region.
- Eastern Mediterranean: Second-highest drowning rate globally, with the highest fatality rate among children under 4 years of age.
Vulnerable Groups:
- Children: Aged 5–14 years are disproportionately affected by drowning, with boys facing twice the risk compared to girls.
- Migrants and Rural Communities: Have greater exposure to unsafe water environments and often lack access to basic water safety measures or infrastructure
Strategies Recommended by WHO:
WHO advocates four core strategies and six evidence-based, low-cost interventions to drastically reduce drowning fatalities:
Four Strategies:
- Develop a national water safety plan.
- Promote multisectoral collaboration.
- Advance drowning prevention through data collection and research.
- Strengthen public awareness via strategic communications.
Six Key Interventions:
- Safety Measures: Barrier installation to restrict access to hazardous water bodies.
- Safe childcare: Creating safe spaces away from water for preschool-aged children under capable supervision.
- Swimming and rescue training: Basic water safety, swimming skills, and safe rescue techniques.
- Bystander response training: Instruction in safe rescue and resuscitation.
- Boating regulations and enforcement: Safe boating, shipping, and ferry rules.
- Flood resilience and hazard management: Preparedness and mitigation measures.
Progress and Challenges:
Encouraging Trends: Global drowning deaths have declined since 2000, yet >300,000 lives are still lost yearly.
Urgent Gaps: The Western Pacific’s drowning rate is 27–32 times higher than in high-income countries like the United Kingdom or Germany.
About the World Health Organisation (WHO):
Director General (DG) – Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Established – 7 April 1948
