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Strategies to address the massive level of child drownings in Asia, where more than 350,000 children under 18 drowned in the year 2009/2010, are to be presented at the upcoming World Conference on Drowning Prevention, to be held in the beachside city of Da Nang, Vietnam from 10th to 13th May 2011.

In Vietnam alone, 11,000 Vietnamese children drown every year – about 32 every day. Sadly, Vietnam’s statistics are by no means the highest. In Bangladesh the statistics are even more staggering with more than 16,000 children drowning every year – close to 50 infants, children and teenagers drowning every day. By comparison, Australia has about 50 child drownings each year

The reasons for this are both simple and complex. Australia is a country with a strong water safety culture borne from backyard and community pools to beaches, rivers and lakes, and reinforced by Olympians, surfers, lifesavers and iconic imagery of Australiana. Australian children learn to swim early – swimming and water safety is incorporated into school curricula and basic lifesaving skills form a prerequisite for other sport and leisure activities such as sailing, canoeing and camping.

Much of the Asian population fits within a development frameset: vulnerable people on low incomes in an environment where recreation, organised sport and money for children’s swimming lessons—or facilities for them—are far from reality.

Yet Asian countries are crisscrossed by rivers, lakes, canals, irrigation ditches, rice paddies and ponds. And they flood. Villages are surrounded by water, and it is here, usually only metres from the home, that the majority of children drown.

Until recently, the figures have been little more than guesswork. Health statistics come from hospitals and health centres: who presents with what symptoms, how many survive, and how many die. The thousands of children who drown in a village pond or a nearby rice paddy never see a hospital. Consequently, their deaths go unreported and the issue of child drowning never surfaces.

At the World Conference on Drowning Prevention, the Royal Life Saving Society Australia will draw worldwide attention to what must be considered an epidemic and what must be addressed as a public health issue.

Hosted by the International Life Saving Federation, the World Conference on Drowning Prevention will feature leading researchers, policy makers and practitioners providing comprehensive research and methodology for those working in the pool, beach and aquatic facility environment. Their presentations will relate to a number of conference themes including Swimming and Water Safety, Emergency Response and Medical, and Advances in Lifesaving.

Swimming and water safety education has long been a feature of preparing children for safe aquatic recreation activity. The Swimming and Water Safety stream will cover advances in swimming and water safety, education programs, research and program evaluation, and catering for diversity in geography, demography, socio economic, ethnicity, gender and climate.

The Advances in Lifesaving theme of the World Conference on Drowning Prevention will look specifically at lifeguard systems, equipment and training. Lifeguards, having long been recognised as being highly effective in the prevention of drowning in pools, water parks and beaches are essential in ensuring best practice in managing aquatic facilities. So to, is the training of staff in lifesaving techniques and for all to understand the risks surrounding swimming pools and beaches.

Recent tragic events have shown how quickly and unexpectedly our world can change. Experts, including those with experience from Aceh and the recent Mentawai tsunami, will present on their research and findings on dealing with such devastating events. With so many beaches and with resorts and aquatic facilities located in coastal and flood-prone regions, dealing with a natural disaster is quite likely to be a matter of when, not if.

The conference will hold tremendous value for participants. Whether you are leading the world, or committed to increasing effectiveness of lifeguard and risk management activities, the program will provide valuable learning and networking opportunities.

For more information go to www.worldconferenceondrowningprevention.org

10th September 2009 - AUSTRALIAN LIFESAVERS TO AID JAPAN

2nd April 2008 - DROWNING BIGGEST KILLER OF ASIAN CHILDREN

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