Drowning is a leading cause of child fatality worldwide. In Asia, drowning claims over 350,000 children each year.
In Bangladesh children are widely exposed to many sources of open water such as ponds, ditches, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Therefore, mortality due to drowning is higher than any other cause. The Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS-2005) revealed that drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1-17 year in Bangladesh, with approximately 18,000 children dying each year.