Drowning is one of the leading causes of death from unintentional injuries worldwide and has a significant impact in the Region of the Americas. Each year, thousands of people lose their lives in rivers, lakes, seas, swimming pools, and wells. It disproportionately affects children, young people, older adults, and rural communities. Drownings occur in a wide range of contexts, including recreational activities, water transport, occupational settings, and during emergencies and disasters.
Risk factors include lack of child supervision, uncontrolled access to bodies of water, alcohol and drug consumption, and the absence of swimming and water safety skills.
Drowning is preventable and can be addressed through coordinated actions across multiple sectors such as health, education, transport, tourism, and disaster risk management. PAHO works with countries in the Region to strengthen public policies, data surveillance, and evidence-based interventions that can save lives.
- 17,000 people died from drowning in the Americas in 2021.
- Drowning disproportionately affects men, older adults, and children, and is the 7th leading cause of death among those aged 5 to 14 years.
- In the Region of the Americas, approximately 950,000 healthy life years (DALYs) are lost each year due to drowning.
- 11 countries have designated a government focal point to coordinate drowning prevention efforts.
- 6 countries have a national strategy for the prevention and control of drowning.
- 5 countries have national legislation on the fencing of public and private swimming pools.
- 7 countries reported that their disaster risk reduction policies explicitly address drowning prevention.
- 2 countries offer swimming and water safety lessons within the school curriculum.
Drowning has been recognized internationally as a major public health problem. In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/75/273 “Global drowning prevention”, the first of its kind, which positioned drowning prevention as a priority on the global political agenda.
Building on this commitment, in 2023, the World Health Assembly adopted resolution WHA76.18 “Accelerating action on global drowning prevention”, which calls on countries to assess their national drowning burden, strengthen surveillance and technical cooperation, and develop comprehensive multisectoral strategies integrated into broader health, safety, and development policies. These actions aim to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based interventions and promote a coordinated and sustainable approach to reduce drowning deaths.
In line with these resolutions, PAHO works with Member States of the Region of the Americas to:
- Provide technical assistance to countries to develop and implement national laws, policies, and programs.
- Strengthen data collection and analysis to ensure reliable and comparable information.
- Promote research and the exchange of experiences among countries.
- Mobilize strategic partners and resources to support the implementation of cost-effective interventions.
- Drive regional and global awareness campaigns, including World Drowning Prevention Day (25 July).
Recommended interventions to reduce the risk of drowning:
- Install barriers: Place fences, covers, or other physical structures to restrict access to bodies of water (ponds, wells, swimming pools).
- Provide safe places for children: Create supervised childcare areas away from water to prevent children from being left unattended near hazardous sites.
- Teach swimming and water safety skills: Provide school-age children with basic swimming, floating, and water safety competencies.
- Train bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation: Equip community members with skills for safe rescues and basic life support (CPR).
- Enact and enforce water safety policies: Develop and strengthen regulations and standards for recreational areas, watercraft, and occupational water safety.
- Promote safety in water transport: Encourage and monitor the use of life jackets.
- Improve data collection and surveillance: Strengthen systems to record drowning cases and guide prevention strategies.
- Foster multisectoral collaboration: Promote coordination among the sectors of health, education, transport, tourism, and disaster risk management.