World Drowning Prevention Day is July 25! All over the world, we come together to share the impact that drowning has on families and communities and how to help prevent it. When drowning happens, the ripple of that event is felt far and wide and from many different people. 2021 was the first official time the World Drowning Prevention Day was declared by the United Nations.
International days like this are a way that we can come together as powerful advocates from all over the world. We can work together to spread awareness on how to be safer around the water. On July 25, we focus on how and why we need to come together to create urgent and coordinated efforts to lower our drowning rates everywhere.
Learn the Facts
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 236,000 people drown each year. More than 90% of those deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Worldwide, drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional death. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that, on average, 4,000-4,500 drowning deaths occur each year, of which 800-900 are children.
For children aged 1-4, drowning is the leading cause of death. This issue is felt globally, and the United Nations have come together to make a concerted and strategic effort to help create a change in these numbers.
Globally, there are common factors that contribute to a higher rate of drowning. Some of the most common are not being able to swim, missing or ineffective fences around water, lack of proper close supervision, not properly wearing a life jacket, using and ingesting alcohol or other drugs, and those who have easier access to bodies of water (including pools, bathtubs, and ponds) according to the CDC.
The CDC goes on to share that drowning disproportionately affects American Indian and Alaskan Native people aged 29 and younger, as they are 2 times as likely to drown than their White counterparts. Black children aged 10-14 drown at rates 7.6 higher than White children in swimming pools. While these numbers are scary, we can help you learn how to change them!
How NDPA is Celebrating World Drowning Prevention Day
NDPA is celebrating World Drowning Prevention Day by sharing tools and resources to help keep you, your family, and your community safer around the water. We encourage everyone to use the 5 layers of protection – barriers and alarms, supervision, water competency, the proper use of life jackets, and having an emergency preparation plan set in place.
Learn more about these layers of protection here! Explore our website, and you can find other resources whether you are a parent, guardian, advocate, or a professional in the industry.
