Drowning: The Overlooked Public Health Emergency

A recently viral CCTV video has deeply shaken many viewers across Bangladesh. The heartbreaking footage captures a young child struggling desperately to stay afloat in a pond, while another child stands helplessly on the bank, crying out in panic and throwing objects into the water in a futile attempt to save the drowning friend. Despite several houses nearby, no one seemed to hear the child’s desperate cries for help. Eventually, a man emerged from one of the nearby houses and rushed to the scene to intervene. Tragically, however, the footage does not reveal whether the drowning child ultimately survived.

This was not an isolated incident. Rather, it reflects a tragic reality that unfolds across Bangladesh every single day. Countless children lose their lives to drowning without ever making newspaper headlines or attracting public attention. For grieving families, these deaths represent lifelong heartbreak. Nationally, however, they are often reduced to little more than statistics.

Drowning remains one of the leading yet most neglected causes of child mortality in Bangladesh. While infectious diseases, malnutrition, and road traffic injuries receive significant public attention and policy focus, drowning continues to exist largely in the shadows. Public health experts consistently emphasize that it is among the most preventable causes of childhood death, provided that communities invest in awareness, safer environments, and proven preventive interventions.

According to the Directorate General of Health Service Survey (DGHS) of the country, nearly 18,000 people drown nationally every year, with children and adolescents disproportionately affected. It means about 50 people die every day from drowning in the country. Most of these fatalities occur in Barishal region because of its geographical location and surroundings.

Bangladesh, with its extensive network of rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, and seasonal floodwaters, faces particularly acute risks for the children. The Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS) found that an estimated 30,000 children die every year from different types of injuries. This is noted that drowning alone causes more than half of all injury deaths in the country.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 300,000 people die from drowning every year worldwide, with children accounting for a significant proportion of these deaths. Approximately 90 percent of global drowning fatalities occur in low and middle-income countries. 

The situation is particularly alarming in Bangladesh. National studies and analyses by international organizations indicate that drowning is one of the leading causes of death among children aged one to four years. In rural communities, most incidents occur in ponds, ditches, canals, or other water bodies located only a few metres from the child’s home. Research has repeatedly shown that the danger is rarely distant; it is often found in the family’s own backyard.

The risk escalates dramatically during the monsoon season (April – September). Heavy rainfall, flooding, and waterlogging create numerous temporary water bodies throughout the country. Courtyards, roads, agricultural fields, and open spaces quickly become flooded, transforming familiar surroundings into hidden hazards. Curious young children often wander away while playing, and only a few minutes without adult supervision can lead to irreversible tragedy.

Experts have long identified the period between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m as the highest-risk window for child drowning. During these hours, many parents and caregivers are occupied with household chores or agricultural work, leaving young children unsupervised. 

Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of drowning is its silence. Contrary to dramatic portrayals in films, drowning victims – especially young children – rarely scream or wave their arms. They often slip beneath the surface quietly, unnoticed by those nearby. As a result, even when adults are close, they may not recognize that a child is in danger until it is too late.

For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) has described drowning as a “silent but preventable public health crisis.” Addressing this crisis requires far more than government action alone. Families, schools, local governments, health professionals, civil society organizations, development partners, and communities all have essential roles to play.

Recognizing the global scale of the problem, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) designated 25 July as World Drowning Prevention Day in 2021. The observance serves as a global call to raise awareness that every drowning death is preventable and to encourage governments and communities to adopt evidence-based interventions that save lives.

For Bangladesh, the significance of this day is particularly profound. Climate change is intensifying floods, extreme rainfall, and prolonged waterlogging, increasing children’s exposure to drowning hazards. Protecting children from drowning should therefore no longer be viewed as a seasonal concern; it must become a national public health priority and an integral part of the country’s child survival agenda.

Why Do These Deaths Continue? What the Evidence Tells Us

The overwhelming majority of child drowning deaths in Bangladesh are not caused by cyclones, river disasters, or capsized boats. They occur during the most ordinary moments of everyday life. A pond beside the house, a roadside ditch, an irrigation canal, a waterlogged field, or even a rain-filled pit can become a deadly trap for a curious child. Research consistently shows that most victims drown within only a few metres of their homes, underscoring how ordinary environments can conceal extraordinary risks.

Children between the ages of one to four are particularly vulnerable. At this stage of development, they are naturally curious, increasingly mobile, and eager to explore their surroundings, yet they possess little understanding of danger. A caregiver distracted for only a few minutes – preparing a meal, washing clothes, or working in the yard – may unknowingly leave a child exposed to life-threatening hazards. Tragically, it often takes only moments for an ordinary day to turn into an irreversible tragedy.

Bangladesh’s geography further amplifies this risk. As one of the world’s largest riverine countries, it is interlaced with thousands of rivers, canals, ponds, wetlands, and floodplains. During the monsoon, increasingly erratic rainfall and frequent flooding – aggravated by climate change – create temporary water bodies in places that remain dry for much of the year. Children playing outdoors can easily wander into these newly formed hazards, where drowning can occur within minutes.

The encouraging news is that drowning is one of the most preventable forms of accidental death. Experiences from several countries have demonstrated that simple, evidence-based interventions can dramatically reduce fatalities of drowning.

Bangladesh has already demonstrated that these interventions work. Pilot programmes implemented by research institutions and development organizations have shown remarkable success in reducing childhood drowning. In particular, the Anchal model of community-based childcare and the SwimSafe programme have significantly lowered drowning risks among young children. The pioneering work of the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) has provided strong evidence that these community-centred approaches save lives. The solutions, therefore, are neither experimental nor unattainable. They already exist. What is needed now is sustained political commitment, adequate investment, and nationwide implementation.

Despite this evidence, drowning remains a largely neglected public health issue in Bangladesh. National campaigns routinely focus on infectious diseases, nutrition, immunization, and road safety, while drowning prevention receives comparatively little policy attention or financial support. Yet every drowning death represents far more than a statistic. It is the loss of a child, the destruction of a family’s hopes, and the disappearance of a future teacher, physician, scientist, artist, entrepreneur, or community leader. Drowning is not an unavoidable accident or an act of fate. Countries that have invested in community awareness, safer environments, swimming education, and evidence-based interventions have demonstrated that dramatic reductions in drowning deaths are achievable.

Prevention is the Best Solution

The most important fact about drowning is also the most hopeful: it is preventable. With sound policies, community awareness, and coordinated action, thousands of children’s lives can be saved each year. Successful interventions implemented in different parts of the world have already demonstrated that drowning is not an inevitable consequence of living near water – it is a public health challenge that can be effectively addressed.

The first line of defence is parental and caregiver supervision. Children under the age of five should never be left alone near ponds, canals, ditches, rivers, or any other water body, even for a few minutes. Most drowning incidents occur during brief lapses in supervision while caregivers are occupied with routine household or agricultural activities. Constant vigilance remains one of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent these tragedies.

Equally important is creating safer physical environments. Protective fencing around ponds and open water bodies, warning signs near hazardous areas, and the development of safe play spaces for children should become standard community practices. Child safety should also be incorporated into rural infrastructure development, housing projects, and local government planning.

Another critical intervention is swimming and water safety education. In a riverine country like Bangladesh, learning to swim should not be viewed merely as a recreational activity; it is an essential life-saving skill. Age-appropriate swimming lessons, delivered by trained instructors in safe environments, together with water safety education in schools, can significantly reduce drowning risks among children.

The expansion of community-based childcare centres, such as the Anchal model, also deserves national priority. In rural communities, where parents are often engaged in farming or household work, providing supervised care for young children during the most vulnerable hours of the day has proven to be one of the most effective drowning prevention strategies.

Communities should also be equipped with basic rescue and emergency response skills. Timely rescue, followed by appropriate first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), can make the difference between life and death. Training teachers, volunteers, boat operators, community leaders, and local residents in emergency response should therefore become an integral component of national drowning prevention efforts.

Most importantly, drowning prevention must be elevated to a national public health priority. A comprehensive national strategy involving the ministries responsible for health, education, local government, disaster management, youth and sports, together with development partners, academic institutions, and civil society organizations, is urgently needed. Reliable surveillance systems, continued research, and evidence-based policymaking must guide future interventions.

From Awareness to Action

Every preventable death represents a collective failure – and every life saved reflects a collective commitment. Awareness has lasting value only when it translates into concrete action.

The death of a child is never merely a personal tragedy; it is also a profound national loss. Every child who drowns represents a future that will never be realized – a future teacher, doctor, scientist, farmer, artist, entrepreneur, or leader whose potential is lost forever. 

In May 2023, the 76^th World Health Assembly adopted a Resolution to accelerate further action through 2029. Through the resolution, WHO committed to establishing a Global Alliance for drowning prevention with organizations of the UN systems, International Development Partners, and NGOs as well. Drowning prevention must be elevated to a national strategy spanning health, education, local government, and disaster management ministries of the country. 

Conclusion

If we are truly committed to building a safer and more inclusive future for its children, drowning can no longer remain an overlooked issue. It should be recognised for what it is: a silent but preventable public health crisis that demands sustained national attention.

Let us renew our collective commitment to ensuring that no child loses their life simply because of inadequate supervision, unsafe surroundings, or preventable neglect. Through informed families, safer communities, swimming and water safety education, effective emergency response, and strong political leadership, we can substantially reduce drowning deaths and protect our children indeed. No preventable drowning death should ever be accepted as inevitable.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of South Asia Times.