Prevention and aquatic security: common goal

Abstract

On 14 April 2021, the United Nations expressed "deep concern that drowning has been the cause of more than 2.5 million preventable deaths over the past decade and that this fact has gone largely unnoticed, especially given the magnitude of its impact".

From this perspective, the UN recognises that "drowning is a social equity issue that disproportionately affects children and adolescents in rural areas" and alludes to "the connection between drowning and development", noting that "more than 90 per cent of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, with Africa having the highest drowning rates in the world and Asia bearing the greatest burden of drowning deaths in terms of numbers".

Likewise, it assumes that "drowning prevention can increase the resilience of society", stressing that "drowning does not only affect countries with coastlines, but also occurs frequently in rivers, lakes, domestic water tanks and swimming pools in many other countries".