Save children from drowning!
Injuries are one of the leading causes of death and disability to children (under the age of 11 years) in Bangladesh, and drowning is one of the largest killers of children once they start crawling and walking. Traditional approaches to public health have attempted improving child survival by focusing largely on infectious diseases such as diarrhoea and pneumonia; however as these are controlled deaths from drowning occur each day and take precious young lives. Drowning is both predictable and preventable - and there are interventions that can be used to stop this menace from occurring. It is time for the health and research communities in Bangladesh to give appropriate attention and effort to explore why drowning occurs, what can be done, and how quickly can specific interventions be implemented to save children.
Individuals and institutions from the US are joining hands with local institutions in Bangladesh to research this issue - we need to understand this health problem. Ignoring this cause of death in children is no longer an option.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.