World Drowning Prevention Day is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer life-saving solutions to prevent it. An estimated 235,600 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years. More than 90% of drowning deaths occur in rivers, lakes, wells, domestic water storage vessels and swimming pools in low- and middle-income countries, with children and adolescents in rural areas disproportionately affected. As part of the advocacy and community engagement for World Drowning Prevention Day WHO is organizing an art competition for the youth of Maldives on the theme “Every drowning is preventable.”
"Every drowning is preventable"
Solutions exist. WHO has laid out evidence-based solutions to prevent drowning. While the implementation of these will vary by country context, it is important that the global drowning prevention community is consistent and coherent in following these six interventions that can support prevention of drowning:
1. Installing barriers controlling access to water;
2. Providing safe places away from water for pre-school children, with capable childcare;
3. Teaching basic swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills, including to school-age children;
4. Training bystanders and locals in safe rescue and resuscitation;
5. Setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations, including the wearing of personal flotation devices
6. Building resilience and managing flood risks and other hazards.for emergencies
We can all take action to end drowning. We can all do something to prevent drowning. Wherever we are. From raising awareness of the scale of the problem; recognizing and promoting knowledge and awareness that tested solutions exist to prevent drowning; working with local or national government to develop drowning prevention plans and policy, volunteering with a drowning prevention, lifesaving or search and rescue organization, knowing how to keep ourselves and our families safe when we are in, around or on the water. To mark this first World Drowning Prevention Day, we can all make a commitment to keep ourselves, our family, and friends safe around water.
Terms, Conditions and Contest Rules
- The theme for the Art Competition organized by World Health Organization Maldives is "Every drowning is preventable." on the occasion of World Drowning Prevention Day 2021
- Only Maldivian Nationals are eligible to enter this art competition. Entries are accepted from Maldivian Nationals residing in and outside Maldives
- Painting, drawing, collage, digital and mixed media artwork are accepted, using any artistic medium of choice
- The art competition is open for 8 to 25 year olds across three categories. Category One: Ages 8-13 | Category Two: Ages 14-18 | Category Three: Ages 19-25.
- One entry per individual accepted. Multiple entries cannot be submitted under the same name
- First prize winners from each category will receive a MVR 6000 voucher redeemable only from Sea Sports Maldives
- Second prize winners from each category will receive a MVR 4000 voucher redeemable only from Sea Sports Maldives
- Third prize winners from each category will receive a MVR 2000 voucher redeemable only from Sea Sports Maldives
- Winners will be announced and contacted latest by 4th August 2021
- To participate: Email a clear photo or a color scan of the artwork to sewhomav@who.int (total file size must be less than or equivalent to 10MB)
- Subject of the email should be titled "Art Competition Entry" along with participant's full name (eg: Art Competition Entry, Aishath Mohamed)
- In the email, please provide your/your child's full name, age, e-mail address, city/island name and local phone number along with a short caption (of at least one sentence) which best describes the submitted artwork
- Incomplete entries shall be disqualified. The artwork must be original, no copied work are allowed
- Participants will send their entries at their own risk and expenses. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any technical or other reason
- Criteria for judging is creativity and originality of the depicted theme, quality of artistic composition and overall design based on the theme. The decision of the Judges shall be final and no correspondence will be entertained regarding this
- Deadline for the competition is 27th July 2021, 23:00 hours. Late submissions will not be accepted.
- By submitting an entry into the "Every drowning is preventable." art competition, it is understood that your art work is agreed to display on social media channels of World Health Organization with the rightful credit to the artist, and the right to use your/your child's name, age and city/island of residence for the sole purpose of identifying you/them as the artist of the entry
- By submitting an entry into the "Every drowning is preventable." art competition, you agree to all the terms conditions and contest rules
For more information or queries; please email sewhomav@who.int or call/text us on +960 7629703