Of the estimated 300 000 drowning deaths that occurred globally in 2021, 12% (35 000 deaths) were in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

The Eastern Mediterranean has the second highest drowning death rate of all WHO regions

WHO’s Global Health Estimates for 2021 revealed that drowning is the second leading cause of death among children aged 5–14 years in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This age group accounted for 23.4% of all drowning deaths in the Region.

The Region has the highest drowning death rate among children aged 0–4 of all WHO regions.

The Region has the highest drowning death rate among low- and lower middle-income countries. It has the second highest rate among high-income countries.

The Region has shown the second smallest decline in drowning death rates. More efforts are needed to prevent drowning.

Some countries in the Region have successfully introduced interventions to reduce drowning death rates.