Over 7.2M people, mainly kids, face risk of drowning by 2050: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report highlighting the ongoing risk of drowning, particularly among children, Anadolu Agency reported yesterday.

Despite a 38% decline in the global drowning death rate since 2000, the report warns that over 7.2 million people, predominantly children, are at risk of drowning by 2050 if current trends persist.

In 2021, an estimated 300,000 people drowned, with more than 30 drowning deaths occurring every hour. Alarmingly, nearly half of all drowning victims are under 29 years old, and a quarter of these deaths involve children under five. The report emphasizes that children are at heightened risk when unsupervised by adults.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised the significant reduction in drowning deaths as a major health achievement but stressed that every drowning is preventable. The report indicates that 90% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. To combat this, WHO recommends community-based interventions such as installing barriers to water access, enhancing flood risk management, and increasing public awareness about drowning prevention.