77% of Latin American countries lack national strategies to prevent drowning – PAHO

Sep 16, 2025 News

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Washington, D.C., 15 September 2025 (PAHO) – Drowning remains a significant and largely unaddressed public health crisis in the Americas, with new analyses from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) revealing that 77% of countries lack national drowning prevention strategies.

Data collected across 26 countries in 2023-2024 underscore the urgent need for action to combat this preventable cause of death in the Region. In a report, PAHO said in 2021 alone, more than 17,000 people died from drowning in the Americas, accounting for approximately 6% drowning deaths globally. Although the regional mortality rate is lower than the global average (1.6 vs. 3.8 per 100,000 people), the report emphasises that mortality is inordinately high among the most vulnerable groups, such as children under 5 years of age and adults over 70.

Despite these challenges, progress is being made in several countries. Over 70% reported having early warning systems for disasters and search and rescue programs, and a growing number are conducting public campaigns on water safety and child supervision. Additionally, 92% of countries indicated having regulations in place for the safety of passenger water transport, although with significant variations in scope. These developments show the potential of multisectoral interventions to save lives.

“Drowning is a preventable tragedy,” highlighted Dr. Anselm Hennis, Director of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health at PAHO. “This new report provides a valuable information that allow us to understand progress, identify gaps, and guide life-saving interventions. Multisectoral commitments and strengthened national governance are essential to advance drowning prevention in our Region.”

Major 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 designated government focal point responsible for coordination, and only 8% indicated having government-led national strategies.
While various sectors – including health, maritime safety, police, disaster risk management, lifesaving associations, and non-governmental organisations – are actively implementing drowning prevention measures, their efforts are significantly hampered by a lack of coordination. Only 27% of countries reported formal mechanisms to bridge government and non-government stakeholders, in order to promote the overall effectiveness of their respective efforts.

Data collection also remains a major challenge in understanding the scope of the problem. Only 65% of countries reported collecting data on drowning deaths through their civil registration and vital statistics systems. This limited monitoring capacity hampers efforts to identify common risk factors and the most affected populations.

The analysis also identified significant gaps in the Region’s regulatory frameworks. Only nine countries have legislation requiring pool fencing, a proven measure to reduce drowning risk among children, and most do not regulate private pools. In addition, just 8% of countries have incorporated swimming and water safety instruction into national school curricula. Although regulations for water transport exist in most countries, less than 10% of the laws reviewed require passengers to wear life jackets, an essential measure to prevent fatalities in the event of an accident. There are also regulatory gaps regarding the sale and consumption of alcohol near bodies of water.

Key interventions: progress and challenges

Actions specifically aimed at preventing child drownings remain limited. Only 23% of countries promote physical barriers to restrict young children’s access to water, and just 15% offer supervised childcare programs. At the global level, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that large-scale implementation of two key interventions—preschool childcare services and basic swimming instruction in schools—could prevent up to 774,000 drowning deaths and nearly one million non-fatal cases by 2050. This investment is projected to yield a substantial economic and societal return, with approximately nine dollars gained for every dollar invested.

The analysis, produced as part of WHO’s first Global Status Report on Drowning Prevention, provides a detailed overview of progress and gaps in the Region of the Americas. The findings underscore that drowning prevention requires coordinated, collaborative multisectoral action. With sustained commitment, greater investment, and evidence-based strategies, it is possible to save thousands of lives—especially among the groups most vulnerable to drowning.

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• drowning, health crisis, Latin American, PAHO

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