From the World Health Organization (WHO):

On April 28, 2021, The United Nations General Assembly adopted a historic resolution on global drowning prevention.  The resolution recognizes the scale and impact of drowning prevention globally and calls for coordinated multi-sectoral action to prevent drowning, a leading cause of injury-related death and disability worldwide.

A key element of the resolution is that it establishes a new UN-recognized World Drowning Prevention Day.  

Did you know:
• Drowning has been the cause of over 2.5 million preventable deaths in the last decade.
• WHO estimates that 235,600 people died from drowning in 2019.  This figure excludes drownings attributed to flood-related disasters and water transport incidents, so is considered an under-representation.
• Drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children and your people ages 1-24 years in every region of the world.
• More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle- income countries.

Click here to learn more about World Drowning Prevention Day, and watch the video below for more on the reasoning behind the day:



The USA Swimming Foundation works year-round to help prevent drowning related deaths through the development of resources and grants that provide free or reduced swim lessons for children and adults.  

Find swim lesson programs for children or adults near you by visiting https://www.usaswimming.org/makeasplash.