Raising awareness of drowning

Although largely unrecognised, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children under the age of five in Bangladesh.
Each year, over 14,000 children in the country reportedly die from drowning. The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that drowning is one of the world's most preventable, yet neglected public health issues. Despite the fact that the number of drowning incidents is high in Bangladesh, limited attention has so far been paid by the government to develop a national strategy on preventive measures. If we want to minimise deaths from drowning in significant numbers, government initiatives are a must.
People from all walks of life too need to act more consciously. Everyone is; perhaps, well aware of the fact that May, June and July are the most dangerous months when drowning incidents are more frequent in our country. Yet, we constantly ignore the issue and pay for it with the cost of our own lives. Instead of only criticising the authorities concerned, we should also start to take responsibility for our actions. So, we urge individuals, communities and the government to raise awareness and do all we can to ensure every child's right to survive and thrive.

Shahjahan Sirazi,
Malibagh, Dhaka,
mshaju001@gmail.com