The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched a new global action plan to tackle drowning, a preventable killer that claims nearly 300,000 lives every year, ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25.
The new technical package, dubbed PROTECT, outlines seven evidence-based measures to help governments reduce drowning deaths, particularly among children and vulnerable communities.
Drowning remains one of the top 10 causes of death among children aged 5 to 14, with more than 90 per cent of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Rivers, lakes, wells, household water containers, and swimming pools remain common sites of these preventable deaths.
WHO also warned that climate change is worsening the crisis, as floods, storms, and heatwaves increase the risk of drowning. Research from the United Kingdom found drowning deaths rise by 7.2 per cent for every 1°C increase in temperature, with the risk almost five times higher on days
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