WHO Raises Alarm as Africa Records 66,000 Drowning Deaths Annually, Children Most at Risk

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised concerns over the persistently high rate of drowning deaths in Africa, revealing that an estimated 66,000 people die from drowning across the continent each year despite significant global progress in reducing fatalities.

According to the WHO, while the global drowning death rate declined by 38 per cent between 2000 and 2021, Africa recorded only a three per cent reduction over the same period, leaving the continent with the world’s highest drowning mortality rate of 5.6 deaths per 100,000 people.

The organisation said children and young people under the age of 29 account for the majority of drowning victims, with many incidents occurring during routine activities such as bathing, fishing and travelling by boat.

WHO noted that Africa continues to lag behind in implementing comprehensive drowning prevention strategies, with fewer than 10 countries on the continent having national drowning prevention plans, compared to about 45 per cent of countries in Europe.

The UN health agency called on governments and stakeholders to scale up proven interventions, including installing barriers around water bodies, creating safe play areas for children, expanding swimming and water rescue training, improving boat safety, and strengthening data collection to better understand and prevent drowning incidents.

WHO warned that unless urgent action is taken, drowning will continue to claim millions of lives, projecting that more than 7.2 million people mostly children could die from drowning globally by 2050.

The agency urged African governments to prioritise drowning prevention as a public health issue and invest in life-saving measures to protect vulnerable communities.