World Drowning Prevention Day, declared through the April 2021 UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/273 “Global drowning prevention”, is held annually on 25 July. 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. Drowning Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid. Outcomes are classified as death, morbidity and no morbidity. An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected. Risk factors Age - Young children are at a particularly high risk of drowning due to an underdeveloped ability to assess risk, and a lack of swimming and water safety skills. The risk of drowning increases when children interact with water outside of active adult supervision. Children and young adults aged 0–29 years account for over half (57%) of all drowning deaths. The highest drowning rates per population are among children aged 0–4 years. Sex - The drowning death rate among males is more than twice as high as females. Males are also more likely to be hospitalized than females for non-fatal drowning. Studies suggest that the higher drowning rates among males are due to increased exposure to water and riskier behaviour such as swimming alone, drinking alcohol before swimming alone and boating. Poverty and inequality - Drowning disproportionately affects poor and marginalized people. Whether it be through the use of ponds, rivers or lakes for bathing and washing clothing, or using open wells for collecting water, the pattern of daily exposure in low- and middle-income countries brings a higher risk of drowning. Occupational exposure - Individuals with occupations such as commercial or subsistence fishing face a substantially higher risk of drowning. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than 32 000 fishers die while working every year. Climate change has aggravated the hazardous conditions under which most fishers work, as extreme weather and natural disasters become more prevalent and destructive. Climate-related risks - Climate change is causing more extreme weather events, such as floods and heatwaves. Drowning accounts for 75% of deaths in flood disasters. Drowning risks due to floods are particularly high in low- and middle-income countries where early warning systems and flood mitigation infrastructure are underdeveloped. Heatwaves increase the risk of drowning. As temperatures rise, more people seek water for heat relief and typically spend longer periods of time in and on the water. Transport on water -Travelling on water, particularly in dangerous weather conditions or without appropriate safety equipment, can increase drowning risk. In many low- and middle-income countries, water transport is significantly less regulated than in high-income countries. Daily commuting often takes place on overcrowded and unsafe vessels, operated by staff who have not been trained to recognize hazardous conditions or perform high-seas navigation. Migration and seeking refuge - Increasing numbers of people are being displaced or migrating due to conflict, political and or economic instability and climate change. Many people resort to irregular channels for migration that are extremely hazardous, including across large expanses of water in treacherous conditions, often using overcrowded, unsafe vessels that lack safety equipment or are operated by untrained personnel. Prevention There are many actions to prevent drowning. Covering wells, using doorway barriers and playpens, fencing swimming pools and otherwise controlling access to water hazards greatly reduces water hazard exposure and risk. Community-based, supervised childcare for pre-school children can reduce drowning risk and has other proven health benefits. Teaching school-age children basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills is another approach. But these efforts must be undertaken with an emphasis on safety, and an overall risk management that includes a safety-tested curricula, a safe training area, screening and student selection, and student-instructor ratios established for safety. What you can do to prevent swimming Learn to swim: Equip yourself and your children with swimming skills. Swimming lessons save lives Supervise children: Always keep a close eye on children near water. Never leave children unattended, even for a moment No alcohol near water: Avoid drinking alcohol when around water. Stay sharp and vigilant Be aware of surroundings: Always check weather and water conditions before swimming or boating. Stay informed and safe Use safety equipment: Ensure lifejackets are available and used correctly when boating. Access to safety gear can make a crucial difference Theme for 2025 - Your story can save a life Drowning has claimed over 3 million lives in the past decade - mostly children and youth - demanding urgent action now. This World DrowningPrevention Day, it seeks to share powerful stories about changemakers from around the world who are helping to save lives and prevent lifelong disabilities caused by drowning. From teaching communities about water safety to developing national drowning prevention plans, their combined efforts have helped to keep people safe around water. Each story about drowning helps us better understand how to prevent it. By drawing inspiration from these real-life stories to generate action and change, governments, organizations, and communities can train more people in life-saving skills, roll out effective water safety programmes and spread awareness on drowning prevention. Source : WHO