On July 25, the World Drowning Prevention Day is observed across the world. This day was recognised by the United Nations in a bid to collectively start action towards drowning prevention with the objective of making the world sustainably-developed.
UN General Assembly Resolution:
- United Nation General Assembly had recognized the World Drowning Prevention Day in April 2021 through a resolution.
- This global advocacy event has now become an opportunity to put in public the tragic impact of drowning on families and communities.
- The day seeks to provide solutions in a bid to prevent the drowning as well.
The World Drowning Prevention Day is celebrated globally, in which;
- Stakeholders including UN agencies, governments, private sector, civil society organisations, academia and individuals are asked to observe this Day by focusing on the requirement of take coordinated, urgent and multi-sectoral action on proven measures to prevent drowning.
- Preparations for the World Drowning Prevention Day is done by the World Health Organisations (WHO), by producing advocacy materials, supporting local & national activities across the world and hosting a global launch event.
- In year 2022, WHO invited public to ‘do one thing’ to save lives on the occasion. It recommended to use hashtag #DrowningPrevention, on social media.
Global estimate on Drowning
As per UN, around 236,000 people drown annually. Thus, it has become a major health problem across the world. Drowning is among the major causes of death for people aged 1 to 24 years. It is the third leading cause for unintentional injury death. It accounts for 7% of all injury-related deaths. As per WHO estimate, over 90% of drowning deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.
