Welcome to the Drowning Research and Injury Prevention Policy Institute (DRIPPI)!
Every child deserves the chance to grow up safe around water. Yet drowning remains the 3rd leading cause of death of kids age 5-14 worldwide, and the single leading cause of death of children age 1-4 in countries as diverse as the U.S., Australia, Bangladesh, parts of Vietnam & India...the tragic list is nearly interminable.
Yet there are similar risk factors across geographies & SES status. The root causes are the same. The question is: Can we reach the root causes? How can we be systems thinkers to crack this nut?
DRIPPI is a consortium of international organizations, family foundations, nonprofits, government, families & communities working together to change this tragic epidemic.
We know drowning is not simply an “accident.” Accident implies Act of God; drowning is not an accident. Rather,it is entirely within our control. It is a preventable tragedy shaped by systemic issues: Inequities in swimming instruction; outdated status quo biases & policies; lack of infrastructure (from safe water access to safe bridge crossings, and many locations in between).
To make meaningful change, bring together many voices—researchers, health & safety experts, community leaders, families, media—to rethink water safety & build sustainable, scalable solutions.