# Drowning among older people: a neglected yet vital component of global drowning prevention

## TL;DR

Drowning rates in older adults now exceed those in young children, highlighting a critical need for targeted prevention efforts.

## Contribution

This paper emphasizes the overlooked issue of drowning among older people and calls for focused research and interventions.

## Key findings

- In 2021, drowning rates in those aged 70+ surpassed rates in children under five.
- Current drowning prevention efforts lack focus on older adults despite their aging population.
- There is a lack of age-specific interventions and risk factors identified for older people.

## Abstract

Globally in 2021, for the first time, the unintentional drowning fatality rate among people aged 70 years and older (8.15 per 100,000 people) surpassed the drowning rate of children under five years (7.66 per 100,000 people). While strong investment and advocacy in child drowning prevention have proven effective, we currently lack the research, consensus-based risk factors, and age-specific drowning prevention interventions for older people. Amid a globally aging population, we use this comment to highlight the need for increased evidence to reduce the persistent yet preventable fatal drowning rate for this age group.