30 people drowned every hour in 2021 globally, says WHO report 

WHO's global report on drowning prevention reveals alarming statistics, urging countries to take action to save lives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published its first-ever global status report on drowning prevention on Friday, December 13, 2024. The report, released at an event in Geneva, reveals that three lakh people died by drowning in 2021 around the world (an estimated 30 every hour).

Close to 92% of such deaths took place in low- and middle-income countries, disproportionately affecting the poor and marginalised. The WHO’s South-East Asia Region (which includes India) saw 83,000 deaths, or 28% of the global burden.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, via video conference, said the report provided a snapshot of the global burden of drowning. Countries could use the report to raise awareness, guide implementation strategies and track progress on drowning prevention, he said.

Compiled with the participation of 139 countries – including India – the report found that while drowning deaths declined 38% since 2000, the progress had been uneven and the pace slow. The WHO’s European Region, for instance, saw a 68% drop, while the South-East Asia Region saw a decline of 48%.

Primarily at risk are children and young people. Children aged under five accounted for the single largest share of drowning deaths (24%), with a further 19% of deaths among children aged five to 14, and 14% among young people aged 15 to 29. The report notes that globally, drowning is the fourth leading cause of death for children in the age group of one-four and the third leading cause of death for children aged five to 14.

Even these staggering numbers however, are an underestimate, notes Caroline Lukaszyk, technical officer, WHO, as the report does not capture deaths by drowning owing to natural disasters such as flooding, and those that occur on water transport, primarily due to a lack of accurate data. With vulnerability to flooding increasing due to climate change – and 75% of flooding deaths known to be due to drowning – this is a priority on the drowning prevention agenda, she says.

The report also states that while encouragingly, the WHO’s evidence-based drowning prevention interventions are being implemented in many countries, the implementation is to varying degrees. For instance, only 33% of countries offer national programmes to train bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation, and just 22% integrate swimming and water safety training into their school curriculum. Quality data collection also remains a challenge.