Counting down to World Drowning Prevention Day 2022

With the United Nations General Assembly last year adopting a Resolution on Global Drowning prevention in which 25th July was designated to be the annual World Drowning Prevention Day, stakeholders are being invited to participate in the event.

With the World Health Organization (WHO) coordinating actions and facilitating observance of the day, this year’s key theme, is ‘Do one thing to prevent drowning’ - an invitation to take one concrete action to advance drowning prevention, something all, individually or in groups, can do.

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 10 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.

All stakeholders are invited to mark World Drowning Prevention Day - governments, UN agencies, civil society organisations, the private sector, academia and individuals - by highlighting the need for urgent, coordinated and multi-sectoral action on proven measures such as:  

• 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

The purpose of the WDPD declared through the April 2021 UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/75/273 ‘Global drowning prevention’ is raising awareness of drowning prevention and celebrating the actions and initiatives that lifesaving organisations around the world are taking to prevent this.

For more information about the WHO campaign for the WDPD 2022 go to www.who.int/campaigns/world-drowning-prevention-day