Drowning rates yet to reduce fast enough

Drowning remains a leading cause of death among children in Vietnam, particularly among those aged 5 to 14. Despite significant progress in drowning prevention efforts, the mortality rate has not declined as quickly as expected.

On the occasion of World Drowning Prevention Day, July 25, 2025, the Department of Maternal and Child Affairs, World Health Organization (WHO), and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) jointly call on all levels of government, sectors, and society as a whole to step up actions to protect children from the risk of drowning.

This year, the theme of World Drowning Prevention Day in Vietnam is “Together, let’s act so no more children drown”, highlighting the importance of multisectoral coordination and collective action across all levels of society to reduce the risk of drowning deaths among children.

According to the WHO, statistics in 2021 indicated that there were around 300,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, 57 per cent of which involved children and young people, and 92 per cent of cases occurred in low- and middle-income countries.

In the same year, Vietnam recorded 4,019 drowning deaths, with 40 per cent involving children under the age of 14, making drowning one of the leading causes of death in this age group.

Children learn vital water safety skills in a supervised environment, a key step in Vietnam’s commitment to ending child drowning, highlighted on World Drowning Prevention Day 2025. Photo: WHO Vietnam

Dr. Tran Dang Khoa, deputy director general of the Department of Maternal and Child Affairs, shared, “Vietnam has made significant progress in preventing child drowning, but many challenges remain. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has issued an official letter to provinces and centrally governed cities, urging them to prioritise resources, implement effective interventions, strengthen public communication, promote multisectoral collaboration, and scale up proven drowning prevention models for children.”

“Every drowning death is a preventable tragedy. We call on parents, schools, communities, and local authorities to take action to prevent child drowning, particularly in rural areas and regions with many ponds, rivers, lakes, and streams, as we work towards the goal of ending child drowning in Vietnam,” he added.

“On this occasion, we once again urge all levels of government to increase investment in child drowning prevention programmes, especially in high-risk areas; enhance community education on water safety, first aid skills, and child supervision; expand swimming and water safety programmes for children in schools and communities; strengthen intersectoral and international cooperation; and integrate drowning prevention into sustainable development policies,” he noted.

WHO representative in Vietnam Dr. Angela Pratt said, “Every death to drowning is one too many. Anyone can drown, but no one should. There is strong evidence from around the world about what works to prevent drowning. We need to scale up the low-cost interventions that can drastically reduce the risk of drowning and protect children. By doing so, we can save more needless deaths and create safer environments for everyone.”

CTFK representative in Vietnam Ms Doan Thu Huyen said, “Drowning can happen in just a few short moments, but with timely and correct awareness and action, what can happen? What happens in those moments can also change for the better. Drowning is preventable."

Thanks to government leadership and with the support of partners such as Bloomberg Philanthropies and CTFK, thousands of children have passed survival swimming courses and learned water safety skills.

WHO has supported the government in policy development and the implementation of the National Programme for the Prevention and Control of Child Injury for 2021-2030 and the Multisectoral Collaboration Plan on Child Drowning Prevention for 2022-2030. Based on global best practices and evidence, WHO’s recommendations for preventing drowning include multisectoral collaboration, strengthening public awareness of drowning, establishing a national drowning prevention plan, and collecting data.

Ministry, foreign partners work to prevent child drowning The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) in coordination with foreign organisations is carrying out a cooperation programme to prevent child drowning, a serious problem in Vietnam.

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