In April 2021, the UN General Assembly Resolution declared that 25 July will annually be recognised as World Drowning Prevention Day.
This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer life-saving solutions to prevent it.
An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children and youth aged 1-24 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells and domestic water storage vessels in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected.
The below proven measures can help reduce the risk of drownings;
- installing barriers controlling access to water
- providing safe places away from water such as crèches for pre-school children with capable childcare
- teaching swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills
- training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation
- setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations
- improving flood risk management
We are passionate about reducing the drown toll and have established our program on the basis of helping to teach children how to swim and survive for this reason. Through proudly supporting the WHO campaign for World Drowning Prevention Day and drawing attention to the risks of drowning, along with having a focus on survival skills at every level, we are actively working towards our goal of ‘Zero Drown Toll is our Goal’.