The National Disaster Manage­ment Organisation (NADMO) last Fri­day marked World Drowning Preven­tion Day in the Azizanya commu­nity at Ada in the Greater Accra region as part of global efforts to reduce drowning deaths.

The event, themed “Your story can save a life: drowning preven­tion through shared experience”, emphasised real-life stories, wheth­er from survivors, rescuers or com­munities as powerful motivators for awareness and behaviour change.

Earlier, community members, opinion leaders, and chiefs partic­ipated in an extensive drowning prevention education session, during which some of them shared their personal experiences and em­phasised the importance of safety practices on water bodies.

In her presentation, Dr Bertha Kusimi, Director of the Geological and Radiological Department of NADMO, highlighted a research study conducted by the School of Public Health at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technol­ogy (KNUST) in 52 communities between 2019 and 2022, which estimated 1,370 drowning deaths annually.

According to the study, 40 per cent of drowning occurred among children aged 0–5, and males aged 15–35 were disproportionately af­fected. Men were found to be four times more likely to drown than women, with an overall drowning death rate of about 4.4 per 100,000.

The education and sensitisation initiative therefore, formed part of a broader movement aligned with recommended drowning prevention strategies; swimming education, life jackets usage and rescue training, Dr (Mrs) Kusimi indicated.

Presenting life jackets to the community, Greater Accra regional director of NADMO, Dennis Adjannor Nartey, noted that the gesture was especially meaningful in the Ada communities where many school children commuted daily across lakes and river bodies, without proper safety equipment, adding that the life jackets aimed to reduce students’ daily fear and anxiety and improve safe crossings.

As the communities anticipate the celebration of their annual Asafotufiami festival in August, where lots of people commute from the islands, Mr Nartey clari­fied that the life jacket donations, awareness and rescue training prioritised prevention rather than waiting for accidents, describing it as ‘action before tragedy’ but not the reverse.

Deputy Director of NADMO, Ahmed-Rufai Afarahim Aguddey, stated that NADMO has taken a proactive role in raising awareness and facilitating hands-on commu­nity training in high-risk com­munities affected by large river crossings.

Officials from NADMO pledged support to ensure the life jackets are used consistently and correctly, with civic education officers urging parents to reinforce safety behaviours at home.

The event included rescue and resuscitation simulation alongside live safety demonstrations by the technical team from NADMO and the community members.