In Ghana, three people die from drowning every single day. That is the stark reality that prompted the World Health Organization to choose this West African nation as the launchpad for a bold new plan to stop these preventable deaths.
On July 23, ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the WHO unveiled the PROTECT package — a set of seven proven strategies designed to help governments and communities keep people safe around water. The strategies include building safer infrastructure near water, training people in rescue and resuscitation, improving safety for workers who operate on or near water, strengthening boat and water transport rules, teaching children to swim, creating better child care systems, and preparing communities for floods and other emergencies made worse by climate change.
"Every drowning is a tragedy, and most are preventable," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General. "The seven PROTECT strategies give countries practical, evidence-based approaches to prevent these tragedies, including making water transport safer, teaching school kids to swim, and preparing for floods. Drowning prevention isn't the job of one ministry; it belongs to everyone, and the lives it saves are the reward."
Globally, nearly 300,000 people die from drowning each year. The numbers are especially devastating in poorer nations — more than 90 percent of drowning deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries. Drowning is also among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5 to 14. Many deaths occur in everyday places: rivers, lakes, wells, buckets, and swimming pools.
Climate change is making the problem worse. Research from the United Kingdom found that drowning deaths increase by 7.2 percent for every 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature. The risk is nearly five times higher on days when temperatures exceed 25 degrees Celsius compared with cooler days below 10 degrees.
Ghana was selected as the launch site because of the country's growing commitment to water safety. With an estimated 11,000 drowning deaths each year — roughly three every day — the nation is stepping up as a leader in addressing this crisis. The launch highlights Ghana's work and calls on other governments to adopt these evidence-based policies.
The effort builds on more than a decade of collaboration between the WHO, national governments, and partners including Bloomberg Philanthropies, which has supported drowning prevention work since 2014. This year's World Drowning Prevention Day theme — "Unite to turn the tide" — captures the spirit of the moment: coordinated action across governments, sectors, and communities can prevent tragedies and save lives.