The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that approximately 66,000 people lose their lives to drowning annually in Africa.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, weekend, stated this in Abuja in his message to commemorate World Drowning Prevention Day.
He said it reminds the world that hundreds of thousands of lives are lost to drowning worldwide and the deaths are both tragic and preventable.
This year’s theme was: “Unite to Turn the Tide,” which is a timely call for all to strengthen collaboration and accelerate action to save lives.
He stated that more than 300,000 people continue to die from drowning every year, and the African Region continues to bear the highest drowning mortality rate of all WHO regions.
He stated that behind these statistics are children who never return home, families whose livelihoods depend on water, communities repeatedly exposed to floods, and people who travel, work or earn their living on rivers, lakes and the sea. Children are particularly affected, accounting for more than half of all drowning deaths in our region.
Dr Janabi said these losses are not inevitable. They can be prevented through sustained investment, stronger policies and collective action.
WHO said drowning prevention is no longer the responsibility of one sector alone. It requires governments, communities and partners to work together.
Health, education, transport, fisheries, maritime authorities, disaster risk management, local government, civil society, academia and the private sector all have an essential role to play.
Dr Janabi added that WHO has made encouraging progress. Since 2000, the global drowning death rate has declined by 38%, demonstrating that evidence-based interventions work.
In his words: Across the African Region, encouraging progress is demonstrating what is possible. Tanzania and Uganda are advancing national leadership and strategies for drowning prevention, while Ghana is strengthening regional leadership by championing policy dialogue and collaboration.
He pointed that Mozambique and Nigeria have also committed to strengthening multi sectoral coordination to advance drowning prevention.