Children playing in or around water without proper supervision and safety measures can turn a joyful moment into a tragedy within seconds, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned.

According to UNICEF, drowning remains one of the 10 leading causes of death among people aged between one and 24 years globally, with children under the age of five facing the greatest risk.

This was contained in a statement to commemorate the World Drowning Prevention Day, which is marked annually on July 25 to strengthen global and national efforts to reduce drowning.

In Ghana alone, an estimated 1,100 people lose their lives through drowning every year, representing about three deaths each day, with children and young adults accounting for the majority of the victims.

Describing drowning as largely preventable, UNICEF urged parents, caregivers and communities to make child safety around water a priority by taking simple but lifesaving precautions.

The agency encouraged parents and community members to learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and basic water rescue skills to enable them to respond quickly during emergencies without putting themselves at risk.

UNICEF also stressed that no child should be left unattended in, on or around water, warning parents against relying on older siblings or other adults to supervise young children.

It advised caregivers to keep children within arm’s reach at all times and avoid distractions, such as mobile phones or conversations.

The agency further recommended the installation of barriers such as fences around swimming pools, ponds and other water bodies, covering wells and water containers, emptying buckets and portable pools after use, and ensuring bathroom doors and toilet lids remain closed when not in use.

For older children, UNICEF advised parents to enrol them in swimming and water safety lessons, while reminding caregivers never to leave infants and toddlers alone during bath time, even for a few moments.

Meanwhile at launch of the PROTECT Technical Package in Accra last Thursday, World Health Organisation (WHO) decried  the drowning menace as one of the world’s most neglected yet preventable public health  and development challenges.

PROTECT Technical Package is a global policy framework aimed at accelerating efforts to reduce drowning as a major public health threat.              

The Deputy Minister for the Interior, Mr Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, said the government was enhancing water rescue training and emergency response, swift water rescue, boat handling, resuscitation and incident management.

The WHO Representative to Ghana, Dr Fiona Braka, said about 300,000 people died from drowning globally each year with more than 90 per cent of the deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

 She attributed the cause of drowning to poverty, rapid urbanisation, and inadequate water safety measures, increasing reliance on water for transport and livelihoods and climate change.

By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu