A South African Epidemiological Study of Fatal Drownings: 2016-2021.

Drowning is a serious public health concern. Low-and-middle-income countries are the most affected by drowning, as they carry 90% of the global drowning burden. The purpose of this retrospective epidemiological study is to provide an overview of fatal drownings in South Africa between 2016 and 2021.

The epidemiology of operations performed by the National Sea Rescue Institute of South Africa over a 5-year period.

Background: Injuries remain a major contributor of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with drowning accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths with rates of between 4 and 8 per 100,000. The African region has death rates comparable to most low-income countries. Non-fatal drowning in Africa remains unquantified but it is estimated to be ten times higher than the fatal drowning rate.