Background Drowning is a leading cause of death among young children. The United Nations Resolution on global drowning prevention (2021) and World Health Assembly Resolution in 2023 have drawn attention to the issue. This review synthesizes and updates the evidence on the effectiveness of child drowning prevention interventions since the 2008 World Report on Child Injury Prevention and implications for their implementation.

Methods Quantitative studies published between 2008–2023 focusing on interventions targeting unintentional injuries, including drowning, among children and adolescents under age 20 years were searched on Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Epistemonikos, PubMed, and Embase. Relevant data on interventions were extracted using a pre-defined template on Microsoft Excel. This scoping review focuses on the interventions addressing drowning.

Results Overall, 12 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Evidence generated between 2008 and 2023 support the effectiveness of introducing barriers around bodies of water and first-responder training, and the use of personal floatation devices (PFDs). Basic swimming and water safety skills training for children ages 6 years and older and enacting and enforcing regulations on pool fencing and PFD use were found to be promising based on new evidence of effectiveness published since 2008. This review also found evidence on new interventions studied since 2008, such as close adult supervision, inspection of safety standards of pools, and the use of door barriers and playpens, all of which demand further research to ensure context-specific implementation in LMICs.

Conclusion While there is evidence to support both preexisting and new interventions, most drowning prevention interventions are still classified as promising or emerging. This underlines the need for further evaluation of those interventions in diverse settings through effectiveness studies and implementation research. In addition, it is important to highlight the links between drowning prevention and its contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals and to advocate for multisectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration. Such actions can position drowning prevention as part of the broader child health agenda.