World Drowning Prevention Day 2026; July 25th.

FORUM: "Unite To Turn The Tide." World Drowning Prevention Day 2026. Since 2000, the world has cut the drowning rate by 38%. Drowning takes more than 300 000 lives a year - 30 every hour - and almost a quarter of them are children under five. Globally, it is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected. Many of the youngest victims never came near a river. They drowned in household buckets. In water storage tanks. While someone's back was turned.Communities began identifying dangerous water bodies and fencing them. Families learned CPR. Children got swim lessons. Volunteers took on a shared responsibility to watch over the water in their backyards and communities. But the work is far from done. We know how to close this gap. We just need to do it faster, together. Follow the conversations with the hashtags:  #keeppeoplesafearoundwater, #DrowningPrevention, #25July, #UniteToTurnTheTide.

EVENT: On July 25th, 2026 we will mark the 5th annual observance of the World Drowning Prevention Day; a global call to action against one of the most preventable cause of deaths. The evidence is clear, the tools exist and the strategies are proven, what is needed now is solidarity at scale. This year we look upstream to the actions that save lives long before danger arrives and we call on everyone to recognize and play their parts. Register to participate!

On July 24th; starting at 11:00 am. EST. a webinar organized by PAHO on occasion of the World Drowning Prevention Day 2026 was held. In the Region of the Americas, nearly 17,000 people died from drowning in 2021. Join us in raising awareness about the impact of drowning and promote actions that can prevent deaths and injuries!

Stories of the everyday heroes.

KEY MESSAGES: Partners, advocates and communicators are welcome to use and adapt these messages across campaigns, events and media.

1 Drowning claims more than 300,000 lives every year. That’s 30 people drowning every hour. Drowning is preventable. We know the risks. We have the solutions. Now we need to scale them. 

2 Children pay the heaviest price. Drowning is the 4th leading cause of death for children aged 1–4, and the 3rd leading cause of death for children aged 5–14. 

3 Drowning is a deeply unequal crisis. Nine in ten drowning deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries. 

4 Drowning is a climate issue. Floods are becoming more frequent and severe, and 75% of flood deaths are due to drowning. Drowning prevention belongs at the heart of disaster risk reduction and climate resilience plans, with stronger early warning systems and community preparedness. 

7 Drowning prevention takes a united effort. It's not the job of one ministry, one community or one profession. It depends on action across families, workplaces, sectors and governments – often long before an emergency unfolds.

7 Drowning prevention takes a united effort. It's not the job of one ministry, one community or one profession. It depends on action across families, workplaces, sectors and governments – often long before an emergency unfolds. 

8 We know how to solve this crisis. Swim and water safety education, supervised childcare, lifejackets, CPR training, swimming pool fencing, regulated boats and flood early warning systems all save lives. What's needed is scale. The Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention sets out a shared global roadmap – uniting governments, communities and partners behind what works.

9 Investing in drowning prevention is one of the smartest public health investments any country can make. Most of the actions that prevent drowning are low-cost, well-understood, and ready to scale. Studies show that scaling just two solutions – supervised childcare and child swim education – could save 774,000 lives by 2050 with a 9x return on investment

10 This moment matters: it’s time to turn the tide. Five years into the global movement, the world has a shared goal – to reduce drowning deaths by 35% by 2035. We have the knowledge and tools, now it’s time to act! 

ACTIVITIES: Whoever you are, you have a role to play.

 Reaching our goal depends on millions of small actions – from all people, in all places, in all contexts. Know where you come in…

PARENTS & CAREGIVERS - Protect and train...

Supervise children closely near any water
Fence pools
Cover household water sources
Teach children swimming and water safety
Learn CPR and safe rescue

SCHOOLS & EDUCATORS - Educate and equip… 

Bring water safety into curriculums
Share water safety information
Connect families with practical water safety resources

WORKERS AROUND WATER - Advocate for your safety...

Always wear your lifejacket
Insist on safety training and access to safety equipment
Report unsafe working conditions

EMPLOYERS & OPERATORS - Create a safety culture… 

Provide safety training and equipment
Meet international occupational safety standards
Identify and respond to safety risks


COMMUNITY LEADERS & ADVOCATES - Push local drowning prevention measures...

Map local water risks and identify solutions
Run community swim and rescue training
Establish or strengthen flood warning systems

POLICYMAKERS & REGULATORS - Legislate for safety...

Pass laws that keep people safe around water
Fund proven drowning prevention interventions
Coordinate across sectors

PUBLICATION: GET THE TOOLKIT!

Seven strategies to prevent drowning - technical package for policy-makers.

The Global Strategy for Drowning Prevention calls every sector and every level of society to one goal:
Unite to reduce drowning by 35% by 2035. Closing the gap depends on all of us doing our part – every person, in every place, in every context.

TAKE ACTION:

USE THE TOOLKIT: The Unite to Turn the Tide Campaign Toolkit is a practical campaign guide for communities, partners, advocates and communicators. It comes with everything you need to support the campaign on your channels, including key messages, social media copy, and ways to participate.

LINK ARMS: Share stories of the everyday heroes of your team, tell us what they are doing to prevent drowning in your community. Tag @WHO and use the theme: Unite To Turn The Tide.