Table 3 Possible drowning prevention measures
IssuesPrevention measures
Common place of drowning: ponds and ditches situated close to houseEnvironmental modification: creating barrier to prevent access to the water bodies, especially for younger children 1–4 years old
Awareness development: parents should be aware about the hazards of open water bodies
Time of drowning: half of the drowning events in 1–4 year-old children occur between 0900 and 1300Institutional supervision: community day care centre or crèche should be established to supervise children
Person accompanying before drowning: half of child drowning incidents occurred when the child was accompanied by an adultImproved supervision: supervision of children to be improved by raising awareness
Swimming ability: only 7% of drowned children over 4 years of age could swimSwimming teaching: at the community settings using local resources, teaching of survival swimming should be provided to children 4 years and above