WASHINGTON, CMC – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says drowning remains a significant and largely unaddressed public health crisis in the Americas, with new analyses showing that 77 per cent of countries lack national drowning prevention strategies.
PAHO said that data collected across 26 countries, including the Caribbean, in 2023-2024, underscore the urgent need for action to combat this preventable cause of death in the Region.
It said in 2021 alone, more than 17,000 people died from drowning in the Americas, accounting for approximately six percent of global drowning deaths.
Although the regional mortality rate is lower than the global average (1.6 vs. 3.8 per 100,000 people), the report emphasizes that mortality is inordinately high among the most vulnerable groups, such as children under five years of age and adults over 70.
“Despite these challenges, progress is being made in several countries. Over 70 percent reported having early warning systems for disasters and search and rescue programs, and a growing number are conducting public awareness campaigns on water safety and child supervision.
“Additionally, 92 per cent of countries indicated having regulations in place for the safety of passenger water transport, although with significant variations in scope. These developments show the potential of multisectoral interventions to save lives,” PAHO said.
PAHO’s director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health, Dr. Anselm Hennis, said that drowning is a “preventable tragedy,” and that the new report provides “valuable information that allows us to understand progress, identify gaps, and guide lifesaving interventions.
“Multisectoral commitments and strengthened national governance are essential to advance drowning prevention in our Region, Hennis said.
One of the main findings of the report is the limited national governance mechanism for drowning prevention. Only 11 countries reported having a designated government focal point responsible for coordination, and only 8% indicated that they had government-led national strategies.
PAHO stated that while various sectors, including health, maritime safety, police, disaster risk management, lifesaving associations, and non-governmental organizations, are actively implementing drowning prevention measures, their efforts are significantly hampered by a lack of coordination.
It stated that only 27 percent of countries reported having formal mechanisms to bridge the gap between government and non-government stakeholders, in order to promote the overall effectiveness of their respective efforts.
Data collection also remains a significant challenge in understanding the scope of the problem. Only 65 per cent of countries reported collecting data on drowning deaths through their civil registration and vital statistics systems. PAHO said this limited monitoring capacity hampers efforts to identify common risk factors and the most affected populations.
The analysis also identified significant gaps in the Region’s regulatory frameworks. Only nine countries have legislation requiring pool fencing, a proven measure to reduce the risk of drowning among children, and most do not regulate private pools. In addition, only eight percent of countries have incorporated swimming and water safety instruction into their national school curricula.
Although regulations for water transport exist in most countries, fewer than 10 percent of the laws reviewed require passengers to wear life jackets, an essential measure to prevent fatalities in the event of an accident. There are also regulatory gaps regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol near bodies of water.
PAHO said that actions specifically aimed at preventing child drownings remain limited. Only 23 percent of countries promote physical barriers to restrict young children’s access to water, and just 15 percent offer supervised childcare programs.
At the global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that large-scale implementation of two key interventions—preschool childcare services and basic swimming instruction in schools—could prevent up to 774,000 drowning deaths and nearly one million non-fatal cases by 2050.
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