International Maritime Organisation partners with World Health Organization anti-drowning campaign

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has joined a new global campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat preventable drowning deaths.

Launched at an event in the Swiss city Geneva to mark UN World Drowning Prevention Day - held each year on 25th July - the Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention (GADP) has included the IMO, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), UNICEF and the WHO as its founding members.

Non-State bodies joining the Alliance as founding members are: the Royal Life Saving Society, Australia; RNLI, United Kingdom; the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB); the George Institute for Global Health; and Bloomberg Philanthropies.

A network of partners who will work together to coordinate, strengthen, enhance, and expand efforts to prevent drowning deaths, aligned with WHO's priorities, the Alliance will operate under the principles of alignment and coordination, agility and responsiveness, driving country-level action, transparency, evidence-based approaches, and coordination among interested parties.

Global Drownings
According to the WHO, an estimated 236,000 people die from drowning each year, with 90% of these deaths happening in low- and middle-income countries.

Globally, the highest drowning rates occur among children between one and four years old, followed by children between five and nine years of age. Rates for drowning are highest among the most socioeconomically disadvantaged members of society.

As the global regulator for shipping and the potential for synergies within the new alliance, IMO Senior Projects Director, Olivier Lebrun stated "all water travel poses a drowning risk for passengers or crew - and IMO has adopted international instruments to mitigate this risk."

These treaties include the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS); the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW); the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety (not yet in force); the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F); and Model Regulations on Domestic Ferry Safety.

The establishment of the WHO Global Alliance for Drowning Prevention follows the adoption of the first ever World Health Assembly (WHA) resolution on drowning.

The resolution requested WHO to establish an alliance of organizations within the UN system, along with international development partners and non-governmental organizations. The Alliance will develop a Global Drowning Prevention Strategy and strengthen coordination and collaboration among partners.

The International Life Saving Federation’s World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP) is being held at the Perth Conference and Exhibition Centre from 4th to 7th December 2023.

Click here for conference details in the Australasian Leisure Management calendar.

Image credit: IMO/WHO.