The ILS has great pleasure in presenting this new Position Statement to demonstrate the importance of swimming and water safety in drowning prevention.

The ILS has great pleasure in presenting this new Position Statement to demonstrate the importance of swimming and water safety in drowning prevention.

The statement identifies the WHO Global Burden of Disease study demonstrated that drowning is one of the most common causes of death. It further notes that currently, the difference in drowning rates between higher and lower-income countries is as much as fifty fold; evidence of the effectiveness of preventative efforts in high-income countries. It is a powerful demonstration of the effectiveness of targeting drowning as a major public health problem. Clearly, with adequate attention and effort, drowning is a largely preventable cause of death.

Interestingly, the statement draws on a range of research, in particular that from The Alliance for Safe Children (TASC) arising from the sub-continent and Asia in recent years demonstrates a compelling link between swimming and water safety education and a reduction in death by drowning.

The statement was formally launched at the World Water Safety 2007 Conference held in Portugal during September, and published in the November edition of the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education (IJARE).

Thank you to the ILS Education Committee, the Lifesaving Commission and the many contributors who gave their time, expertise and research documents to develop a pivotal document in our quest to reduce the incidence of death by drowning across the world.

The full position statement is available at: http://www.ilsf.org/about/position-statements

Submitted by Norman Farmer, Chair, Education Committee