Drownings down in Vietnam but work still to be done

Drowning has been the cause of over 2.5 million deaths globally in the last decade. WHO estimates that about 235,600 people lost their lives due to drowning in 2019. This figure excludes drownings attributable to flood-related disasters and water transport incidents.

Drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. Nine of every 10 deaths from drowning happen in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels, and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries.  Every single death of a child from drowning has a tragic and profound impact on families and communities.

We all know that drowning is preventable, yet this issue has not received enough attention.

Thus, it was a historic moment when the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on drowning prevention by consensus among all 193 Member States of the UN. This resolution draws clear connections between drowning and its negative impacts on Member States’ sustainable development goals. It also shows the relevance of drowning and its prevention to various initiatives and agreements for addressing climate change and reducing disaster risk.

The resolution proclaims July 25 every year as World Drowning Prevention Day. It will provide a good opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of drowning prevention and the need for urgent, coordinated and multisectoral action on life-saving solutions.

In the last two decades, Việt Nam was able to reduce child deaths from drowning – from 19 children per 100,000 in 2000 to about 6 children per 100,000 in 2019.

To support the Government, WHO and partners have implemented intensified programmes on drowning prevention in selected provinces with the highest rates of drowning. Some results are encouraging. More than 30,200 children received water safety lessons. In addition, we have developed guidelines on safe swimming and water safety skills for children and this will be deployed nationwide.

To make a lasting difference in the lives of children, Việt Nam needs to sustain the drowning prevention interventions that have been successfully implemented in recent years and scale up these interventions in the whole country.

In the context of complicated developments of COVID, what advice do you have for families and children to ensure safety and prevent drowning?

During the COVID-19 outbreaks, there are fewer opportunities for children to swim in pools where parents can monitor them. Children may be tempted to play in open bodies of water with higher risk.

Thus, parents and guardians should take the following actions:

• Talk to your children about the risk of drowning and supervise them closely to prevent drowning

• Install barriers to control children’s access to open water

• Make swimming safe for your kids

• Teach your children water safety skills

• Create a safe environment for children to prevent drowning

Besides that, we must also continue to take a series of public health measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, as the 5K measures: wear facemask, disinfect frequently, keep safe distance, avoid crowds and public gathering, and fill out health declaration.