Topic: Practising safety measures to combat drowning

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death of children and young people around the
world with over half the casualties under the age of 25 years where males are twice as likely
to drown than females. While drowning fatalities are disturbing, practicing safety measures
can lessen the risks of drowning. Thus, this essay will highlight on the major causes of
drowning and preventative measures that can combat drowning cases.
The major cause of drowning in the Pacific Island countries and the world is heavy rain
leading to flash floods. Katheryn Murray, identified drowning as one of the five leading
causes of death for Fijians aged one to 29 years in Fiji. Studies have proven that male youths
and school children mostly drown during months of flood disasters and in school holidays.
Therefore, more awareness is needed amongst individuals to minimize drowning related
deaths.
In addition, another risk factor linked to drowning is lack of monitored parental supervision.
A record number of drownings in Fiji has prompted calls for better supervision of children
near water where 31 people had drowned in 2020.Also in Bangladesh, most drowning occurs
in rural areas during the day between 9am-2pm when the mother is busy with housework or
other chores and the child is left unsupervised. Hence, parental supervision is integral in
decreasing drowning cases.

Moreover, lack of knowledge on water safety and alcohol consumption while engaging in
water activity are also associated with drowning cases. Drowning appears to be the
overwhelming cause of death associated with recreational aquatic activity with alcohol
detected in the blood in 30%–70% of persons who drown while involved in this activity.
Alcohol consumption significantly increases the likelihood of immersions resulting in
drowning during aquatic activities. So, avoiding swimming while under alcohol consumption
can reduce drowning incidences.
However, preventative measures such as swimming lessons can be incorporated in the school
curriculum to combat drowning fatalities. School aged children should be taught the
following: basic swimming., water safety and rescue skills to lessen drowning fatalities.
WHO and Global health released figures claim that 91 per cent of global drowning deaths
occur in low- and middle-income earning countries. Therefore, schools should run swimming
classes for the vulnerable and underprivileged children so that rapid deaths relating to
drowning can be overcomed.
Furthermore, learning resuscitation (CPR) and rescue skills can save lives. Many lives each
year are saved because someone in the area of an accident was trained in CPR and was able
to keep an injured victim alive long enough for the paramedics to get to the scene. Hence
knowing how to apply CPR particularly by pool owners and water sports enthusiasts can save
lives.
In conclusion, drowning has been a neglected public health issue globally but due to the surge
in deaths, a multi sectoral approach is needed to combat it. Getting more people trained in
water safety and rescue operations and a structured water safety education in schools
followed by voluntary swimming lessons and knowledgeable on resuscitation are the first few
steps to start off with.