SYDNEY, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Drowning fatalities in Australia have declined by about 24 percent over the past 20 years, according to a study published on Tuesday.
The findings were released by Royal Life Saving Society - Australia, the country's leading drowning prevention organization, and published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
Researchers analyzed nearly 5,700 unintentional drowning deaths from 2002 to 2022, finding a 59.2 percent drop in fatalities among children aged 0-4, the most significant decline across all age groups.
Despite overall progress, drowning rates rose among 15-17-year-olds and remained largely unchanged for those 65 and older, who now make up over 20 percent of deaths, the study said.
Males were nearly four times more likely to drown than females, with alcohol involved in nearly a quarter of cases and medical conditions common among older victims, said the study in collaboration with Australia's James Cook University and the University of New South Wales.
Rivers and creeks accounted for over a quarter of drownings, though rates there fell 21.6 percent. Beach drownings showed no change, and the highest risk remained among remote and disadvantaged communities, it said.
Lead researcher Lauren Miller from Royal Life Saving Society - Australia and James Cook University warned of a post-pandemic rise in drownings, calling for renewed prevention, community education, better data, and targeted action on alcohol, drugs, and high-risk groups. ■
