2.5 million people died from drowning in the past 10 years, most of them children

Gulf Today Report

The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed on Tuesday that more than 2.5 million people have died from drowning globally in the past 10 years, most of them were children aging between 1 and 9 years.

The WHO said, in a report published on its official website on the occasion of the World Day for the Prevention of Drowning 2023, that drowning is a general issue which does not receive attention, though it is fatal, as it caused more than 2.5 million deaths during the past ten years, and deaths by 90% in low and middle income countries.

Children aging between 1-4 years and 5-9 years were at risk of the highest rates of drowning, according to WHO, which highlights the need for immediate action to protect future generations.

In its report, WHO affirmed that increasing investment in preventive measures, such as teaching basic swimming skills and providing childcare, could save the lives of more than 774,000 children worldwide by 2025, adding that this could also prevent potential economic losses of more than $400 billion in low and middle income countries, which suffer the most from child drowning deaths.