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Campaign Messages Bite as Toddler Drownings Fall 40 Percent

Thursday December 9, 2004

Toddler drownings in Australia in the last year have fallen almost 40 percent on the annual average recorded over the last five years, according to figures released today.

Royal Life Saving Australia released the figures for the 2002-03 financial year, which show there were 35 downing deaths of children aged 0-5.

This is a decrease of nine on the same period last year and a fall of 39 percent on the five-year annual average of 58.

"One death is too many and drowning remains the single most common, preventable cause of death in the 0-5 age group," said Royal Life Saving CEO Rob Bradley. "The figures are still way too high!"

"The downward trend does indicate that the messages of our major anti-toddler drowning initiative, Pfizer Australia KEEP WATCH, are cutting through.

"It's encouraging that toddler deaths as a percentage of all drownings in Australia have fallen from 19 percent a few years ago to 14 percent."

The most common place for toddler drownings are swimming pools (accounting for 17 fatalities), while six deaths occurred in dams, lakes or lagoons. Another five happened in bathtubs with seven resulting from toddlers falling into less obvious places like nappy buckets, ponds or troughs. None occurred in rivers, the ocean or harbours.

"Drownings can happen any where there is water, so parents must be constantly vigilant," said Bradley.

The country's leading medicines company, Pfizer Australia, has thrown its support behind KEEP WATCH, which proactively educates parents and carers in drowning prevention.

"The success of the Keep Watch program since Pfizer Australia began supporting it in 1998 has been outstanding," said Bradley. "There are over 75 children alive today that would not have been had the 0-5 drowning figure remained at the 1998 level."

"Pfizer Australia KEEP WATCH has four key points:

1) Supervise your child
2) Fence the pool, and on rural properties, create a child safe area
3) Familiarise your child with water
4) Learn resuscitation

The 2003 National Drowning Report is available to be viewed on the web. Visit http://www.royallifesaving.com.au/_uploads/res/2_792.pdf

Pfizer Australia is the country's leading research-based health care company. It discovers, develops, manufactures and markets innovative medical treatments for both humans and animals.