World Drowning Prevention Day

“When you’re drowning, you don’t say I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me, you just scream.”- John Lennon. Drowning is the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid; outcomes are classified as death, morbidity and no morbidity. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), drowning is a leading cause of accidental death. World Drowning Prevention Day, declared in April 2021 by General Assembly resolution is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer life-saving solutions to prevent it. In 2019, an estimated 236,000 people died from drowning, making drowning a major public health problem worldwide. In 2019, injuries accounted for almost 8% of total global mortality. Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths. The global burden of death from drowning is felt in all economies and regions, however: low- and middle-income countries account for over 90% of unintentional drowning deaths; over half of the world's drowning occurs in the WHO Western Pacific Region and WHO South-East Asia Region; drowning death rates are highest in the WHO Western Pacific Region, and are 27-32 times higher than those seen in the United Kingdom or Germany, respectively. Despite limited data, several studies reveal information on the cost impact of drowning. In the United States of America, 45% of drowning deaths are among the most economically active segment of the population. Coastal drowning in the United States alone accounts for US$ 273 million each year in direct and indirect costs. In Australia and Canada, the total annual cost of drowning injury is US$ 85.5 million and US$ 173 million respectively. There is a wide range of uncertainty around the estimate of global drowning deaths. Official data categorization methods for drowning exclude intentional drowning deaths (suicide or homicide) and drowning deaths caused by flood disasters and water transport incidents. Data from high-income countries suggest these categorization methods result in significant underrepresentation of the full drowning toll by up to 50% in some high-income countries. Non-fatal drowning statistics in many countries are not readily available or are unreliable. According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) data published in 2018 Drowning Deaths in Jamaica reached 23 or 0.13% of total deaths. The age adjusted Death Rate is 0.79 per 100,000 of population ranks Jamaica #162 in the world. Unfortunately, despite the fact that Jamaica is a tropical island and is completely surrounded by the beautiful Caribbean Sea; many Jamaicans cannot swim. Additionally, too few Jamaicans are trained in Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) a lifesaving technique that's useful in many emergencies, such as a heart attack or near drowning, in which someone's breathing or heartbeat has stopped. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) classes should be incorporated in the National Standards Curriculum. Risk factors Age The Global report on drowning (2014) shows that age is one of the major risk factors for drowning. This relationship is often associated with a lapse in supervision. Globally, the highest drowning rates are among children 1–4 years, followed by children 5–9 years. In the WHO Western Pacific Region children aged 5–14 years die more frequently from drowning than any other cause. Gender Males are especially at risk of drowning, with twice the overall mortality rate of females. They are more likely to be hospitalized than females for non-fatal drowning. Studies suggest that the higher drowning rates among males are due to increased exposure to water and riskier behaviour such as swimming alone, drinking alcohol before swimming alone and boating. Access to water Increased access to water is another risk factor for drowning. Individuals with occupations such as commercial fishing or fishing for subsistence, using small boats in low-income countries are more prone to drowning. Children who live near open water sources, such as ditches, ponds, irrigation channels, or pools are especially at risk. Flood disasters Drowning accounts for 75% of deaths in flood disasters. Flood disasters are becoming both more frequent as well as more severe and this trend is expected to continue as part of climate change. Drowning risks increase with floods particularly in low- and middle-income countries where people live in flood prone areas and the ability to warn, evacuate, or protect communities from floods is weak or only just developing. Travelling on water Daily commuting and journeys made by migrants or asylum seekers often take place on overcrowded, unsafe vessels lacking safety equipment or are operated by personnel untrained in dealing with transport incidents or navigation. Personnel under the influence of alcohol or drugs are also a risk. Up Close and Personal Have you ever seen your life flashed before your eyes? I have, I came very close to drowning; however, God had a purpose for my life. As Jeremiah stated in chapter 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Many years ago I attended the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) for swimming classes. The classes were held on Saturdays. The pool had both a deep and a shallow area. One Saturday I went into the deep area and found myself in difficulty. I saw flashes of my funeral within yoctoseconds as I struggled for help. I saw my mother over my casket inconsolable along with my brother and sister trying as best as possible to console her. On my last attempt the life guard stretched out the pole to which I grabbed. I was pulled to safety. I did not return to the YMCA. Many of us believe we can swim; however, the truth is we cannot swim well enough to save ourselves. Swimming is a life skill. Parents should encourage their children to learn to swim at an early age. In Jamaica very few public schools have a swimming pool, therefore swimming is primarily an extra-curricular activity. However, swimming is offered in many private (preparatory) schools at an additional fee. Prevention There are many actions to prevent drowning. Installing barriers (e.g. covering wells, using doorway barriers and playpens, fencing swimming pools etc.) to control access to water hazards, or removing water hazards entirely greatly reduces water hazard exposure and risk. Community-based, supervised child care for pre-school children can reduce drowning risk and has other proven health benefits. Teaching school-age children basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills is another approach. However, these efforts must be undertaken with an emphasis on safety, and an overall risk management that includes a safety-tested curricula, a safe training area, screening and student selection, and student-instructor ratios established for safety. Effective policies and legislation are also important for drowning prevention. Setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations is an important part of improving safety on the water and preventing drowning. Building resilience to flooding and managing flood risks through better disaster preparedness planning, land use planning, and early warning systems can prevent drowning during flood disasters. Developing a national water safety strategy can raise awareness of safety around water, build consensus around solutions, provide strategic direction and a framework to guide multi-sectoral action and allow for monitoring and evaluation of efforts. As we pause to commemorate World Drowning Prevention Day let us remember all those who have lost their lives through drowning. Governments worldwide should increase funding to Non-Governmental Organization (NGO’s) as they work to prevent drowning. We all have a part to play in highlighting drowning prevention. We need to practice water safety in all we do. Anyone can drown. No one should. In the words of Nicolas Sparks, no drowning man can know which drop of water his last breath did stop. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WorldDrowningPreventionDay #DrowningPrevention #Jamaica