Drowning is Disproportionally Affecting Children, Youth and Disadvantaged Populations.
300,000
Lives Lost to Drowning
Annually
40%
Of Drowning Deaths Occur
Among Children <15
90%
Of Drowning Deaths Occur
in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Source: World Health Organization. (2021). Global status report on drowning prevention 2021. World Health Organization.
How We Make an Impact
World Conference on Drowning Prevention
Every two years, the International Life Saving Federation brings together its member organisations and the world’s leading researchers, practitioners and policy makers to present and discuss the latest research and thinking in drowning prevention, lifesaving, rescue, water safety, lifesaving sport and related fields.
The most recent WCDP was hosted in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Click through to access the Conference Statement and Conference Programme.
ILS Academy
An interdisciplinary centre dedicated to advancing global excellence in drowning prevention, water safety, water rescue, lifeguarding, lifesaving, and lifesaving sport. ILS Academy provides services to member organisations, partners, and individual members to achieve best practices.
Training & Certification
ILS provides a global framework for high-quality training and certification in lifesaving, ensuring that lifeguards and water safety professionals meet internationally recognized standards. Through its certification system, ILS evaluates and endorses national qualifications, promotes consistency in lifesaving competencies worldwide, and supports organizations in aligning their training with best practices.
World Drowning Prevention Day
Observed annually on 25 July, World Drowning Prevention Day mobilises governments, organisations and communities to prevent drowning. The 2026 theme, Unite to Turn the Tide, supports the global goal of reducing drowning by 35% by 2035.
Program of the Month
Lifesaving Program of the Month
Vietnamese, Singaporean and Australian lifesavers cooperate to promote lifesaving in Danang and South East Asia.
The five-day program was a joint effort of the Son Tra Eco-Tourism Sea Board, Surf Life Saving Vietnam, South-East Asian Lifesaving Network, Surf Life Saving Australia through Cudgen Surf Life Saving Club, and the Singapore Life Saving Society.
You could inspire others
We want to share real stories from our members. If your organisation has a strong drowning prevention program that you’d be happy to share with us, please get in touch. We might feature it as our Programme of the Month.