Global Report on Drowning

Globally, an estimated 359,000 people drown worldwide each year, among them more than 63,000 children under the age of 5 years. Drowning is one of the ten leading causes of death for children in every region of the world. Yet a range of prevention measures exists to prevent drowning, including providing safe places for children, teaching basic swimming and water safety skills, installing barriers preventing access to water hazards and ensuring first aid and immediate resuscitation.

With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies through its Drowning Prevention Project, WHO has undertaken the development of its first ever global report devoted exclusively to the topic. This report on drowning prevention, which covers drowning in all countries of the world across all ages, sets out what is known about drowning and drowning prevention, and calls for a substantial scaling-up of comprehensive efforts and resources targeted at prevention.