Child Drowning

Proportion of drowning
Figure 1: Drowning in Thailand among children 0- 17 years old, by cases seen or reported to a healthcare
facility, 2003
100%
80%
14.3%
60%
40%
20%
100%
85.7%
Not seen or reported to
a health care facility
Seen or reported to
health care facility
0%
0.0%
Immediately fatal
Subsequently fatal
Source: Survey data from the Thailand National Injury Survey 2003.
Figure 1 shows reporting of the drowning events in the Thai survey. The survey had a nationally
representative sample of 100,000 households; the field work was done from 2002−2003. Of 65 child
drowning events identified at the community level, only 14 (21.5 per cent) were seen by or reported to
a health-care facility (fatal and non-fatal drowning combined). None of the immediately fatal drowning
events were seen by or reported to a health-care facility. Overall, the survey found that drowning
caused about half of all injury deaths among children. Thus, missing most fatal drowning meant a
marked under-reporting of fatal injury as well as fatal drowning. Figure 2 illustrates a similar situation in
Bangladesh.
Figure 2: Drowning in Bangladesh among children 0-17 years old, by place of report and/or receipt of
care, 2002
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
64% 65%
22% 24%
7% 6%
7% 6%
Immediately fatal
Subsequently fatal
No report/treatment
Hospital/clinic
Traditional healer
Informal doctor
Source: Survey data from the Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey 2002. Note totals exceed 100% due to rounding.
The Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS) had a nationally representative sample that included
174,000 households. Field work for the survey was completed in 2003. Figure 2 shows 12 per cent to 14
per cent of fatal drowning events were taken to traditional healers or informal doctors. These are not
part of the health reporting system so that drowning was unreported in national health data. Regarding
hospitals and health facilities, about two thirds (64 to 65 per cent) of fatal drowning cases (both
immediately and subsequently fatal) were not taken for care or reported. Less than a quarter (22 to 24
per cent) of drowning victims were taken for care or reported to a hospital or clinic. Therefore, almost 8
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