Young people at greater risk of drowning
Indeed they say that 372,000 die each year because of drowning. According to the World Health Organization’s first Global report on drowning entitled “preventing a leading killer”. (Note to the WHO – have you heard of capitals? Try ’em you will make more sense).
The core finding include:-
o 50% of drowning deaths are among those aged under 25 years. Under 5s are most at risk.
o Males are twice as likely to drown than females
o More than 90% of drowning occurs in low- and middle-income countries
“Efforts to reduce child mortality have brought remarkable gains in recent decades, but they have also revealed otherwise hidden childhood killers. Drowning is one. This is a needless loss of life. Action must be taken by national and local governments to put in place the simple preventive measures articulated by WHO.” according to WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan.
Of course as with anything produced by tax-payer funded bodies “Something must be done”!
In fact in this case the ideas are reasonably sensible and include:-
a) installing barriers to control access to water
b) providing safe places such as day care centres for children
c) and the obvious but overlooked teaching children basic swimming skills and training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation. Indeed some studies suggest only 50% of children can swim.
So do you teach your children swimming? Is there anything else you would add to this list? Please feel free to share in the comments section below.
Thanks in advance!