Drowning is a top killer of children in Asia, but the problem is often overlooked in poor countries plagued by deaths caused by speeding cars, suffocation and other accidents, according to a report released on Wednesday. Nearly 2.5 mn people were surveyed in Bangladesh, China, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam by UNICEF and the alliance for safe children, a US-based aid group. The survey found injuries were the leading cause of death in children older than one year.
Drowning was the top cause of injury-related deaths in all countries, accounting for about half of all cases.
But the report said drowning was largely missing from child mortality statistics because many children who drown are often never taken to hospitals.
"You have this child floating face-down in a pond, and you don't take it to a hospital," said Michael Linnan, a co-author and Technical Director of the alliance for Safe Children. "So that death never shows up."
But the report said drowning was largely missing from child mortality statistics because many children who drown are often never taken to hospitals.
"You have this child floating face-down in a pond, and you don't take it to a hospital," said Michael Linnan, a co-author and Technical Director of the alliance for Safe Children. "So that death never shows up."
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