The Region of the Americas makes progress in drowning prevention, but challenges remain – PAHO/WHO

77% of countries lack national strategies to prevent drowning, a main cause of death between young children and older adults.

Washington, DC, September 15, 2025 (PAHO) – The drowning remains a significant public health crisis and to a large extent not addressed in the Americas, with new analysis of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) that reveals that 77% of the countries lack national strategies for drowning prevention. The data collected in 26 countries in 2023-2024 underline the urgent need for action to combat this preventable cause of death in the region.

Only in 2021, more than 17,000 people died drowning in the Americas, which represents approximately 6% of drowned deaths worldwide. Although the regional mortality rate is lower than the global average (1.6 compared to 3.8 per 100,000 people), the report emphasizes that mortality is excessively high among the most vulnerable groups, such as children under 5 years and adults over 70 years.

Despite these challenges, they are advancing in several countries. More than 70% reported having had early warning systems for disasters and search and rescue programs, and a growth number is carrying out public campaigns on water safety and child supervision. In addition, 92% of the countries indicated to have established regulations for the safety of passenger water transport, although with significant variations in the scope. These developments show the potential of multisectoral interventions to save lives.

«The drowning is a preventable tragedy,» said Dr. Anselm Hennis, director of Non -Communicable Diseases and Mental Health in Paho. «This new report provides valuable information that allows us to understand progress, identify gaps and guide interventions that save life. Multisectoral commitments and strengthened national governance are essential to advance in the prevention of drowning in our region.»

Great obstacles in the region

One of the main findings of the report is the limited national governance mechanism for drowning prevention. Only 11 countries (42%) reported having a focal point of the designated government responsible for coordination, and only 8% indicated to have national government strategies.

Although several sectors, including health, maritime security, police, disaster risk management, life salvation associations and non -governmental organizations, are actively implementing drowning prevention measures, their efforts are significantly hindered by the lack of coordination. Only 27% of the countries reported formal mechanisms to unite the interested parties of the government and non -governmental, to promote the general effectiveness of their respective efforts.

Data collection also remains a great challenge to understand the scope of the problem. Only 65% ​​of the countries reported to collect data on drowning deaths through their civil registry and vital statistics systems. This limited monitoring capacity hinders efforts to identify common risk factors and the most affected populations.

The analysis also identified significant gaps in the regulatory frameworks of the region. Only nine countries have legislation that requires pool fences, a proven measure to reduce the risk of drowning between children, and most do not regulate private pools. In addition, only 8% of the countries have incorporated the swimming and safety instruction of water in the National School Study Plans.

Although there are regulations for the transport of water in most countries, less than 10% of the reviewed laws require passengers to use life vests, an essential measure to prevent deaths in case of an accident. There are also regulatory gaps with respect to the sale and consumption of alcohol near bodies of water.

Key interventions: progress and challenges

Actions specifically aimed at preventing children’s drowning are still limited. Only 23% of countries promote physical barriers to restrict access of young children to water, and only 15% offer supervised programs for child care.

At the global level, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the large -scale implementation of two key interventions: child care services and basic swimming instruction in schools, could avoid up to 774,000 deaths of drowning and almost one million non -fatal cases by 2050. It is projected that this investment generates an economic return and substantial partner, with approximately one dollar in each dollar for each dollar for each dollar invested.

The analysis, produced as part of the first GMO global status report on drowning prevention, provides a detailed description of progress and gaps in the region of the Americas. The findings underline that drowning prevention requires a coordinated and collaborative multisectoral action. With a sustained commitment, a greater investment and evidence -based strategies, it is possible to save thousands of lives, especially among the groups most vulnerable to drowning.