Ignorance, disregard for water travel safety measures are to blame for most incidents

On March 12 this year, a 67-year-old man from Loopilukuny Village in Narok County drowned in the River Mogor on his way home from a drinking den. His body was found downstream by herdsmen two days later.

There are more than 40 deaths from drowning worldwide every day, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Unfortunately, this silent killer has been neglected. 

In 2014, WHO published the Global Report on Drowning, the first ever such document. In it, then Director-General Margaret Chan acknowledged that although cases of drowning were increasing, they had been largely neglected.

“Whether it is children slipping unnoticed into a pool, adolescents swimming under the influence of drugs, passengers on vessels that capsize or residents of coastal communities struck by floods, the daily toll of this leading global killer continues its quiet rise,” Dr Chan said

The report estimated the annual global death toll at 372,000 people, which makes drowning the world’s third largest cause of unintentional deaths. This is almost two thirds that of malnutrition and well over half that of malaria. More than 90 per cent of these deaths occur in low and middle-income countries, mainly as a result of low drowning- awareness and prevention measures.

Data on drowning is limited, which under-represents the true scale of deaths. One source of this limitation is that the total global mortality excludes cases of intentional drowning such as suicide or homicide, deaths caused by flooding and water transport accidents. Besides, statistics for non-fatal drowning are either hard to come by or unreliable.

Studies conducted in developed countries have, however, revealed that the cost drowning is high for the families of the victims, communities and economies.

WHO estimates that 45 per cent of drowning deaths in the United States occur among the most economically active segment of the population. In Australia and Canada, the total annual cost of drowning injury is $85.5 million (Sh8.9 billion) and $173 million (Sh 17.9 billion) respectively.

CAUSES

Risky behaviour around water sources, coupled with lack of water safety awareness, is a major risk factor for communities living near water bodies.
“Many seafarers are either ignorant of, or ignore, the need for specialised training on how to navigate water bodies,” says Mr Joseph Onyango, a Kenya Maritime Authority Inspector in Kisumu, adding that most coxswains and boat owners are also ignorant of the dangers of transporting passengers without personal flotation devices such as life jackets, or employing unlicensed personnel to man their vessels.

Indeed, the Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) says there are about 16,000 vessels operating on Kenya’s water bodies, most manned by untrained people.
“As a result, our water sources of great strategic naval and economic importance occasionally become death traps,” says Mr Onyango.

FLOODING

Tropical areas that experience heavy rains and have unfavourable topography are susceptible to floods. A good example is Budalangi in Busia County. Undersea earthquakes also trigger tsunamis, which inundate large swathes of land in coastal regions, killing people and leaving a trail of destruction.

Mr Onyango says there is even greater risk of flooding because of climate change.

WATER TRAVEL

In recent years, migration has increased as people flee political unrest, war and famine in their home countries to seek refuge, mostly in the developed world. Unfortunately, many drown in that quest since they travel in overcrowded vessels without safety equipment.
The UNHCR estimates that more than 5,000 seeking refuge in Europe had drowned in the Mediterranean Sea by 2016.

The drowning report indicates that children are more likely to die from drowning, but this probability decreases as they mature before rising again during adolescence, when they might engage in risky behaviour such as drinking alcohol near water bodies. In addition, males are said to be twice as likely to drown as females.

PREVENTION

Mr Onyango notes that while the current methods of reducing and preventing drowning are effective, a lot remains to be done. He calls for more cooperation between the staff at loading sites and the media to educate the public on water safety.

He adds that the best strategy is for people to adhere to the safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations laid down by the Kenya Maritime Authority.

“Some cases of drowning still occur because boat captains ignore basic safety procedures. If they followed the procedures, cases if drowning would come down drastically. That is where awareness campaigns become crucial in drowning prevention,’ says Mr Onyango.

He says that the maritime regulator wants to collaborate with the Meteorological Department to be able to monitor weather patterns and warn water travellers or fishermen of impending danger.

“We have been collaborating with the Maritime Police Unit, the Kenya Ports Authority and the Fisheries Department. Working with the weatherman would help us provide real-time information to water users so that they can keep off if there are signs of danger,” says Mr Onyango.

He notes that time is a crucial in rescue operations because drowning kills within a short time.

In recent years, the government has invested in maritime safety initiatives including the acquisition of navigational aids and the provision of search-and-rescue boats. The World Bank has also completed the construction of an ultra-modern maritime training school in Kisumu.  The Lake Victoria Marine Training School was to admit its first batch of trainees last month but there’s been a delay.

The Kenya Railways-run college, which will train boat operators and other lake users on basic navigation skills, will supplement similar colleges in Bandari in Mombasa and Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam Marine Institute to boost transport safety on Lake Victoria.

Since drowning is caused by a variety of factors, a multi-faceted approach is needed to address it.

The WHO global report lists 10 ways to prevent deaths by drowning: 

Community-based action

1. Install barriers to restrict access to water bodies.

2. Provide safe places for young and pre-school children, away from water.

3. Start teaching school-age children basic water safety and swimming skills.

4. Train bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation.

5. Strengthen awareness and highlight the vulnerability of children.

Effective policies and legislation

6. Set and enforce safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations.

7. Build resilience and manage flood risks and other hazards locally and nationally.

8. Coordinate drowning prevention efforts with those of other sectors and agendas.

9. Develop a national water safety plan.

Further research

10. Address priority research questions about water safety.

FYI

An estimated 372,000 people drown in the world every year.

This is almost two thirds the death rate from malnutrition and well over half that of malaria. Ninety per cent of these deaths occur in middle- and low-income countries as a result of low drowning awareness and prevention measures.

The first ever report on drowning was published by WHO in 2014.