世界卫生组织在世界溺水预防日前夕推出了名为PROTECT的新技术方案，该框架包含七项互联的防溺水措施，旨在帮助政府和社区有效降低溺水死亡率。[1]这一方案首次在加纳推出，当地每年约有1100人死于溺水，相当于平均每天3人丧生。[1]
全球溺水形势严峻。[1]据统计，全球每年约30万人死于溺水，其中超过90%的死亡案例发生在低收入和中等收入国家。[1]溺水已成为5至14岁儿童十大死因之一。[1]研究还显示气候因素对溺水风险有显著影响，英国研究表明每升高1℃，溺水死亡人数增加7.2%；在气温超过25℃的日子里，溺水风险是气温低于10℃日子的近5倍。[1]
PROTECT框架涵盖七个关键领域：物理基础设施、救援和复苏能力、职业安全、运输安全、基础游泳教育、儿童保护系统以及洪水应急准备。[1]世界卫生组织总干事谭德塞表示，"每起溺水都是悲剧，大多数是可以预防的"。[1]彭博慈善基金会自2014年以来一直与世界卫生组织合作开展溺水预防工作。[1]
The World Health Organization has introduced a comprehensive seven-strategy initiative aimed at reducing drowning deaths worldwide, announced ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25.[1] The PROTECT framework, unveiled first in Ghana, provides governments and communities with an integrated approach to address this public health emergency.[1]
Drowning remains a significant global health threat, claiming approximately 300,000 lives annually, with over 90 percent of these deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries.[1] The condition ranks among the leading causes of death for children aged 5 to 14 years.[1] Ghana exemplifies the severity of the problem, experiencing roughly 1,100 drowning deaths per year, equivalent to approximately three deaths daily.[1] Research from the United Kingdom has revealed a stark correlation between temperature and drowning risk, showing that each 1-degree Celsius increase in temperature corresponds to a 7.2 percent rise in drowning deaths, with drowning risk reaching nearly five times higher on days exceeding 25 degrees Celsius compared to days below 10 degrees Celsius.[1]
The PROTECT framework encompasses seven interconnected areas: physical infrastructure, rescue and resuscitation capacity, occupational safety, transportation safety, basic swimming education, child protection systems, and flood emergency preparedness.[1] WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the preventable nature of these tragedies, stating: "Every drowning is a tragedy, and most are preventable."[1] The Bloomberg Philanthropies Foundation has partnered with the World Health Organization on drowning prevention efforts since 2014.[1]