Introduction by Croakey: The World Conference on Drowning Prevention, held last week on Whadjuk Country in Perth, highlighted the global impact of drowning, which disproportionately impacts low- and middle-income countries as well as young children.
Given the disproportionate impact, equitable solutions are required in addition to community collaboration – “community is your asset, not your problem”, one conference delegate wrote.
Drowning prevention researcher Dr Amy Peden, from UNSW Sydney, shared some of the wide-ranging discussions from #WCDP2023 via Croakey’s rotated X/Twitter account, @WePublicHealth.
Her report includes an evocative quote reminding us that learning to swim is not only about safety but also joy; as one research participant stated, it is like “dancing in the water”.
Amy Peden writes:
Global perspectives
Building partnerships
Global strategy
Read the World Health Assembly’s first resolution on drowning prevention here, which highlights the strong relationship between social determinants of health and drowning. The resolution calls for urgent action on drowning prevention.
It requests WHO Member States to:
assess their national drowning situation, develop and implement related programming, and ensure policy planning across a wide range of sectors to reduce drowning risks. Member States are also asked to promote drowning prevention through community engagement, capacity building and international cooperation.”
Wide-ranging discussions
Read ‘Drowning: Unseen and unheard victims of drowning‘
Read previous editions of @WePublicHealth and contact us if you’d like to pitch for a week of guest tweeting in 2024
