International Drowning Research Center - Asia

08.03.2010

Australian Government Partnership Announced

Royal Life Saving Australia has announced that it will establish the world's first international drowning research centre in Asia this year - with funding from the Australian Government's Agency for International Development, AusAID.

Royal Life Saving's Chief Executive Officer Rob Bradley says child drowning in Asia is absolutely horrific and on a scale that will shock every Australian.

One child is estimated to drown every 45 seconds in Asia during daylight hours. Toddlers aged one to four make up half of almost all child drowning deaths in Asia.

Children in Asia are drowning at up to 20 times the rate of Australian children. Every year up to 350,000 children drown in Asia. Last year 50 children drowned in Australia.

Bob McMullan, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance is encouraging Royal Life Saving to share its specialised skills and expertise with the rest of the world and has thrown his support behind the project. The Australian government is contributing $850,000 over 3 years to assist Royal Life Saving to address this issue.

Royal Life Saving's Chief Operating Officer Justin Scarr says drowning is tragically the number one killer of children after infancy in many countries in Asia. He says it has been a largely hidden epidemic that requires urgent action.

Justin Scarr said, "Sadly the fact is that drowning is part of everyday life for many people in Asia, particularly those living in rural areas. Five years ago we started a pilot program with partners The Alliance for Safe Children to prove that Australian techniques to prevent drowning can easily be adapted to suit the Asian context. Our partners the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research - Bangladesh have trained 40,000 kids swim and survive techniques through the SwimSafe program. Not one has drowned. Australian Government recognition of the issue and funding is making a world of difference. We are seeing the water safety programs that we've had for years in Australia now save many lives overseas."

The International Drowning Research Centre will be based in Bangladesh but its impact will span south Asia. It will be formally launched in the coming months. The Australian Government's support plus Royal Life Saving's expertise has helped create the centre which will build the scientific evidence to show that drowning can be prevented in developing countries. The centre will focus on key research projects aimed at reducing child drowning in each of the key life stages; preschool, school aged and adolescents. The findings and programs will be used to help build skills across the region to prevent drowning.

The International Drowning Research Centre will also promote the need for people across the region to be taught CPR and basic rescue skills. A critical part of Australia's culture of water safety, these skills can be lifesaving in emergency and disaster situations such as severe flooding and storm surges that affect countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam regularly.

The SwimSafe program that trained 40,000 children in Bangladesh is now also being piloted in Vietnam and Thailand and will ultimately be expanded across the region. In Thailand Royal Life Saving has partnered with the Australia - Thai Institute.

Justin Scarr said, "One of our key learnings was that crèches had to be established in many areas and villages because many child drowning incidents happen between 9am and 1pm when parents are busy. In Asia water is obviously everywhere. So much of it is simply not sealed off to children. Just like Australia, in Asia the keys to preventing drowning in young children are supervision, having barriers to water hazards and ensuring there are safe play areas to protect kids."

The statistics from Royal Life Saving partners The Alliance for Safe Children paint a horrifying picture:

• In Bangladesh there are estimated to be 17,000 child drowning deaths every year 46 children die from drowning every day.

• In Vietnam there are estimated to be 11,000 child drowning deaths and 32 children die from drowning every day.

• In Thailand there are estimated to be 2,600 child drowning deaths and 7 children die from drowning every day.

• In the Jiangxi Province of China there are estimated to be 4,470 child drowning deaths and 13 children die from drowning every day.

(This data is probably an underestimation of the real situation in Asia and the survey is from surveys undertaken by TASC - The Alliance for Safe Children).

Justin Scarr added, "When the parents are busy, toddlers may wander off and if there's water around this can have tragic consequences. Close to 50% of 1 to 4 year olds who drowned did so within just 10 metres of their home. For children over 4 swimming and water safety skills are the key and millions of children in Asia can't swim. Australian expertise is now working to change this."

Justin Scarr added, "Many people understandably think issues we have in Australia are the same in Asia. Sadly that's not the case. There are very few backyard pools in Asia. Thousands and thousands of children don't get the chance to learn how to protect themselves in water. The sheer scale of drowning in the region is shocking in the extreme. Children are drowning in everything from rivers, lakes and ponds to wells and even cooking pots."

To reinforce the urgent need for action, Royal Life Saving will host The World Conference on Drowning Prevention in 2011 in Vietnam. It is a vital meeting of the International Life Saving Federation to look at the challenges of reducing the burden of drowning in Asia. Australian Government support for this event will allow Royal Life Saving to ensure that it delivers a lasting legacy to the region.

Justin Scarr said, "Australia is now making a real difference to drowning prevention in Asia. The sheer scale of the problem is phenomenal. The work that has already been done shows things can be turned around. There's a long way to go and we intend to tackle the challenge head on."