Drowning prevention strategies in Asia

The International Lifesaving Federation (ILS) recognises that the Asia Pacific region presents substantial challenges in the global effort to reduce the alarming death by drowning statistics in the region. The main exception to this situation is that Australia has a world-renowned history in lifesaving, dating back to the 19th century with the establishment of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSSA) in comparison to the majority of the other countries in the region. Over the last decade some initiatives have seen the establishment of SwimSafe Vietnam, the Thailand Life Saving Society, the Philippine Lifesaving Society and the International Centre for Drowning Research in Bangladesh being formed. The Royal Life Saving Society has responded to the situation through a number of initiatives designed to assist the region develop sustainable solutions to the crisis and this paper will outline how these partnerships have developed. The presentation will provide an overview of a number of strategies, their development, management and more importantly the sustainability for the people of the countries that have been actively engaged in the drowning prevention efforts. In many applications it reflects the desire to encourage shared learning, knowledge and problem solving to achieve common goals between organisations in the region