53pc drowning deaths go unreported: study

Although Bangladesh has one of the highest under-five drowning rates in the world, and drowning remains the dominant reason for child deaths in the country, a recent media monitoring report revealed that 53 percent of drowning deaths go unreported.

Society for Media and Suitable Human-communication Techniques (SoMaSHTe), in association with Global Health Advocacy Incubator, conducted the report -- analysing drowning incidents of 2021 in five upazilas of Chandpur, Cumilla and Patuakhli -- and found that although 51 incidents of death by drowning occurred in the upazilas, media reported only 24.

The study also found that although 2,155 drowning deaths (including that of 1,799 children) occurred across the country in the past two years, the media only covered news on 1,426 deaths.

The data was revealed yesterday at a national consultation programme titled "Role of Media in Preventing Child Drowning in Bangladesh", organised by SoMaSHTe at The Daily Star Centre.

Md Rezaul Haque, director (research and communication) at SoMaSHTe, presented the findings.

Eighty percent of children under five drowned within 20 metres of the family home, the report mentioned, adding that lack of adequate supervision results in 70 percent of deaths among under-five children.

Planning Minister MA Mannan joined the programme as chief guest. He said the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs has developed a detailed, pro-forma project, with a budget of Tk 309 crore, which will enable institutional supervision of children under five through 8,000 community based day-care centres. The project is now awaiting approval from Ecnec.

Rasheda K Chaudhury, executive director of CAMPE, said media can play a vital role in preventing these deaths.

At the event, the planning minister also distributed crests and certificates to three national-level media professionals -- Nilima Jahan, staff reporter of The Daily Star; Zahidur Rahman, staff reporter of the Daily Samakal; and Partha Shankar Saha, senior reporter of the daily Prothom Alo, for their reports on child drowning issues, under SoMaSHTe media fellowship programme.