THERE IS NEED FOR CLOSE SUPERVISION TO ADDRESS DROWNING

In so many cases in Uganda, children have been sent to fetch water unsupervised. In other cases, children have drowned in basins or flood waters when travelling to or from school without supervision.

An interview respondent under the study drowning in Uganda recalls what happened to a lady in Kampala on a fate day;
“A lady was bathing a child and after the bathe, she left her in a basin and went out for a while for some chores outside. As the lady went back to check on the child, she was already dead in the basin.”

The case of this lady is one of grief that calls for urgent attention if drowning is to be prevented among children. In a recent study aimed at understanding and addressing drowning, our researchers found that ;the highest number of drownings (both deaths and survivors) occurred among young adults 20- 24 years of age.

These rates call also for potential interventions which could include: • Modifying access to wells and dams to prevent children or adults from falling in. • Installing boreholes and pumps to enable community members to draw water safely. • Sensitizing community officials on the importance of providing and regulating the creation of safe pit latrines and ditches.