Child rights and national drowning prevention strategy: Time to turn policy into action

Every day in Bangladesh, more than 52 people drown, and nearly 40 of them are children. These are not just numbers; they are names, faces, and dreams that end too soon. Behind every statistic lies a family’s grief and a preventable tragedy.

Despite decades of research and awareness, drowning remains one of the leading causes of death among children in Bangladesh.

The good news is that the country has taken a decisive step forward. The Government of Bangladesh has approved the National Drowning Prevention Strategy, a landmark policy that recognises drowning as a national public health and child rights priority.

This strategy is not merely a policy document—it is a blueprint for action to save lives, protect children, and ensure that no family suffers the loss of a child to preventable drowning.

Evidence from the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) demonstrates that practical, community-based interventions can make an enormous difference. Keeping children aged 1–5 years in supervised daycare centers (Anchals) reduces drowning risk by 82%, while teaching survival swimming and water safety skills to children aged 6–10 years lowers the risk by 96%. These proven interventions—scientifically validated and endorsed by the World Health Organisation—must now be scaled up nationwide through the Drowning Prevention strategy.

The timing could not be more significant. As Bangladesh observes National Child Rights Week in October and prepares for World Children’s Day on November 20, we can move forward with the message: every child has the right to survive, develop, and thrive. The National Drowning Prevention Strategy aligns directly with this commitment—it transforms awareness into actionable policy and policy into protection.

However, there is still a long way to go since the real challenge is implementation after having the approval of this strategy. Bangladesh needs to allocate adequate financing, skilled personnel, community engagement, and strong coordination among government-relevant ministries, local authorities, schools, and technical & implementing partners to make the strategy effective. Monitoring and accountability must be built at every level to ensure that progress is sustained and measurable.

The strategy marks a turning point for Bangladesh. It offers a chance to show that children’s safety is non-negotiable and that preventable deaths are unacceptable. By translating this policy into action, Bangladesh can demonstrate true leadership in child protection and public health.

Every child lost to drowning is a story that should have been different. The National Drowning Prevention Strategy gives us the tools to change that story—for good. Our focus should now shift from commitment to action.