Drowning: A Neglected Public Health Crisis
Kartavya Desk Staff
Syllabus: Health/Social Issues/Disaster Management
- •Source: The Hindu*
Context: The increasing frequency of drowning incidents globally (including the recent case of drowing in Rau’s IAS basement library) highlights the need for comprehensive public health interventions and policy measures to prevent such tragedies.
What is Drowning?
It is defined as the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid. It is a significant yet often overlooked cause of preventable deaths, particularly affecting children and marginalized communities.
As per the NCRB -Accidental Deaths and Suicides, eighty persons die of drowning each day in India, which accounts for 7.4% of all unnatural deaths.
Key Features:
• Causes: Rising sea levels, urban flooding, unsafe water transport, and risky livelihoods.
• At-risk Populations: Children, adolescents, forcibly displaced people, and individuals living in poverty.
• Types of Drowning Incidents: Unintentional drowning in natural water bodies. Drowning during floods and natural disasters. Drowning in urban settings due to poor infrastructure and safety measures.
• Unintentional drowning in natural water bodies.
• Drowning during floods and natural disasters.
• Drowning in urban settings due to poor infrastructure and safety measures.
Examples from India:
• IAS Coaching Centre, New Delhi (2024): Flooding in the basement of a coaching centre led to the drowning of three IAS aspirants.
• 2024 Lonavala Waterfall Tragedy
• Chennai Floods, 2015: Flooding of basements damaged electric equipment, causing disruptions and deaths in a hospital due to the failure of emergency power generators.
Examples from the World:
• Florida, USA (May 2024): An incident of Toddlers drowning in home swimming pools.
• Vietnam and Uganda: Children drowning in rivers and lakes.
• India and Bangladesh: Children drowning while travelling to school or near their homes.
• El Salvador: Refugees and displaced people drowning during perilous journeys.
Drowning is a neglected public health crisis because:
• Lack of awareness: Drowning is often under-recognized as a critical public health issue, leading to insufficient funding and attention. g. Swimming is neglected at the school level.
• g. Swimming is neglected at the school level.
• Invisibility in health policies: It is frequently excluded from national health policies and priorities, overshadowed by more visible health crises. g. No policy covers drowning as a health crisis.
• g. No policy covers drowning as a health crisis.
• Fragmented data: Inadequate data collection and reporting on drowning incidents hinder effective policy-making and resource allocation. g. the Centre reported, there were 38,000 drowning deaths reported in 2023 in India.
• g. the Centre reported, there were 38,000 drowning deaths reported in 2023 in India.
• Limited resources: Resource constraints and competing health priorities result in limited investment in drowning prevention measures and public education.
• Complexity of solutions: Addressing drowning requires multi-faceted solutions involving community engagement, infrastructure improvements, and education, which can be challenging to implement effectively. g. the Urban flooding of Chennai has taken many lives in the recent past.
• g. the Urban flooding of Chennai has taken many lives in the recent past.
• Cultural and Social Barriers: Resistance to safety regulations and lack of awareness.
Impact of Drowning:
Impact | Description | Examples
Health Impact | Mental trauma for survivors and families | Families of children who drown in village ponds suffer emotional distress.
Economic Impact | Loss of livelihood due to the death of breadwinners | Fishermen drowning in coastal areas affects household economies.
Social Impact | Disruption and insecurity in communities | Fear and disruption in rural villages where children drown in open water bodies.
Educational Impact | Loss of students and impacts on school attendance | Students in remote areas risk drowning while crossing rivers to school.
Infrastructural Impact | The strain on emergency and medical services | Urban flooding in cities like Mumbai requires extensive rescue operations.
Policy and Governance Impact | Highlighting the need for better safety regulations | The Delhi coaching centre tragedy underscores the need for building safety codes.
Environmental Impact | Water contamination and environmental neglect | Drownings in polluted rivers like the Yamuna in Delhi reflect environmental hazards.
Public Health Impact | Outbreak of diseases due to drowning in contaminated waters | Chennai floods led to the spread of waterborne diseases due to contaminated waters.
Steps Taken:
• Global Initiatives: WHO’s Global Report on Drowning Prevention (2014). UN General Assembly resolution on drowning prevention (2021).
• WHO’s Global Report on Drowning Prevention (2014).
• UN General Assembly resolution on drowning prevention (2021).
• Country-specific Measures: Vietnam: Swimming lessons for children under the Swim-Safe curriculum. Bangladesh: Community-based childcare centres (Anchal) to supervise young children.
• Vietnam: Swimming lessons for children under the Swim-Safe curriculum.
• Bangladesh: Community-based childcare centres (Anchal) to supervise young children.
• India’s Strategic Framework for Drowning Prevention (2023): Emphasis on robust data collection. Multi-sectoral response including infrastructure improvements, transport safety, and public awareness campaigns.
• Emphasis on robust data collection.
• Multi-sectoral response including infrastructure improvements, transport safety, and public awareness campaigns.
Conclusion:
It is essential to incorporate water safety education and swimming skills into curricula for children and adolescents to mitigate risks. By prioritizing drowning prevention and enhancing safety measures, we can significantly reduce the incidence and impact of this often-overlooked issue.
Insta Links:
• Urban Flooding