Consensus support and rank of strategic priorities for advancing global drowning prevention
| Domain | Priority | % high range | Rank | |
| Round 1 | Round 2 | Overall | ||
| 1. Priorities for research and further contextualisation of drowning prevention. The term ‘investigate’ includes expand research, the synthesis and dissemination of existing research. | Investigate the impact of social and demographic factors on drowning prevention. | 83.3 | – | 16 |
| Investigate the burden and effectiveness of interventions addressing child and adolescent drowning. | 82.5 | – | 18 | |
| Investigate behavioural factors including risk taking, alcohol and other drug use and use of safety equipment. | 75.4 | 81.9 | 36 | |
| Investigate drowning prevention contexts in open water environments. | 70.9 | 77.9 | 43 | |
| Investigate the burden and risk across all life stages, including men and older adults. | 73.8 | 76.0 | 44 | |
| Investigate the impact of climatic and disaster contexts (including heatwave, flooding, tsunami and storm surge). | 77.0 | 75.5 | 45 | |
| Investigate global and regional burdens and contexts. | 75.4 | 74.8 | 47 | |
| Investigate the influence of migration in transit and settlement on drowning and drowning prevention. | 62.7 | Exc. | ||
| Investigate the use of physical environmental modification as an intervention for drowning prevention. | 55.6 | Exc. | ||
| Investigate occupational contexts including workers employed in small-scale fishing and agriculture settings. | 55.1 | Exc. | ||
| Investigate treatment, rehabilitation and psychosocial support for non-fatal drowning. | 50.0 | Exc. | ||
| 2. Priorities for best practice guidance. The term ‘develop’ includes implementation and evaluating. | Develop systematic approaches to teaching children swimming and water safety skills. | 90.7 | – | 1 |
| Promote best practice guidance for community education and training interventions. | 84.7 | – | 12 | |
| Promote WHO guidance for safe places for preschool children in high burden populations. | 83.5 | – | 13 | |
| Develop best practice guidance for integrating drowning prevention into existing disaster preparation, response and resilience systems. | 79.7 | 83.8 | 31 | |
| Develop systematic approaches to training community members in safe rescue and resuscitation. | 78.0 | 81.9 | 35 | |
| Develop best practice guidance and capacity for lifeguard (pool and open water) services, especially in LMICs. | 69.5* | 81.1 | 39 | |
| Develop best practice guidance for emergency treatment, hospital care and rehabilitation for drowning victims. | 72.4 | 72.4 | 49 | |
| Develop best practice guidance for drowning prevention through safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations. | 68.6 | Inc. | ||
| Develop best practice guidance for the prevention of alcohol-related drowning in recreational settings. | 64.4 | Exc. | ||
| 3. Priorities for capacity building. The phrase ‘strengthen capacity’ includes developing, resourcing and evaluating. | Strengthen capacity for data systems to measure and monitor drowning burden at all levels. | 88.8 | – | 2 |
| Strengthen capacity for policy-based approaches to drowning prevention. | 80.0 | – | 25 | |
| Strengthen capacity for implementation research. | 79.1 | 84.5 | 29 | |
| Strengthen capacity for behaviour change and social marketing. | 73.3 | 84.3 | 30 | |
| Strengthen capacity of safety and risk management systems. | 71.1 | 83.2 | 33 | |
| Strengthen capacity of civil society to engage in drowning prevention (at all levels). | 75.2 | 79.8 | 40 | |
| Strengthen capacity for multidisciplinary research. | 73.9 | 73.8 | 48 | |
| Strengthen the capacity of the health sector for drowning prevention. | 68.7 | Inc. | ||
| Strengthen technical capacity for lifeguard and rescue services (pool and open water). | 68.4 | Inc. | ||
| Strengthen technical capacity of media sector to investigate and report on drowning prevention. | 63.8 | Exc. | ||
| 4. Priorities for engagement with health and sustainable development agendas. | Align drowning prevention within the Disaster Risk Reduction agenda and to the Sendai Framework. | 85.1 | – | 9 |
| Align drowning prevention with the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. | 82.3 | – | 20 | |
| Integrate drowning prevention within child and adolescent health agendas. | 77.7 | 92.3 | 26 | |
| Integrate drowning prevention within climate and health agendas. | 74.6 | 83.5 | 32 | |
| Integrate drowning prevention within Disaster Risk Reduction agendas. | 81.6 | Inc. | ||
| Integrate drowning prevention within SDG 3 - good health and well-being agendas. | 67.3 | Exc. | ||
| Integrate drowning prevention within Universal Health Coverage agendas. | 61.5 | Exc. | ||
| Integrate drowning prevention within the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021–2030). | 55.1 | Exc. | ||
| Integrate drowning prevention within planetary health agendas. | 52.8 | Exc. | ||
| Integrate drowning prevention within urban health agendas. | 51.8 | Exc. | ||
| 5. Priorities for high level political advocacy. | Develop strategies for engagement with the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States. | 82.9 | – | 17 |
| Develop an accountability framework aligned to the UN Resolution on Global Drowning Prevention to monitor national progress. | 80.7 | – | 24 | |
| Develop strategies for engagement including with UN agencies like UNICEF, UNISDR, IMO, ILO, IOM, UNDP. | 76.8 | 86.9 | 27 | |
| Develop strategies for continued engagement at the World Health Assembly. | 77.5 | 86.1 | 28 | |
| Develop strategies for engagement with World Bank initiatives for urban, rural, environmental and human development. | 73.2 | 78.0 | 42 | |
| Develop strategies for engagement with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, and alignment to the Sendai Framework. | 76.9 | Inc. | ||
| Develop strategies to transform the UN Resolution voluntary actions into an accountability, reporting and measurement framework. | 70.1 | Inc. | ||
| Develop strategies to position drowning prevention within the next report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. | 67.0 | Exc. | ||
| Develop strategies for integrating drowning prevention into other UN plans or strategies, please specify in notes. | 66.3 | Exc. | ||
| Develop strategies for engagement with the International Olympic Committee Peace and Development through Sport Initiative | 43.1 | Exc. | ||
| 6. Priorities for multisectoral action for drowning prevention. | Develop national/subnational strategies and action plans. | 87.7 | – | 4 |
| Develop inclusive approaches with governments, civil society, community and private sector. | 86.5 | – | 6 | |
| Strengthen multisectoral policies that address drowning prevention challenges (at all levels). | 85.8 | – | 7 | |
| Strengthen coordinating mechanisms to facilitate collaboration and accountability at national/subnational levels. | 85.0 | – | 10 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the early childhood care and development sector. | 83.5 | – | 14 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the education sector. | 82.5 | – | 19 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the emergency sector, including with police and fire departments. | 81.6 | – | 22 | |
| Increase funding for pathway projects in multisectoral action for drowning prevention. | 82.1 | – | 21 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the health and well-being sector. | 72.2 | 81.6 | 38 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the maritime, boating and passenger ferry sector. | 79.1 | 78.6 | 41 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the transport sector, including water transport and roads. | 72.8 | 75.0 | 46 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the small-scale artisanal fisheries sector. | 69.6* | 71.6 | 50 | |
| Prioritise partnerships with the tourism sector. | 68.7 | Exc. | ||
| Prioritise partnerships with the sport, physical activity and leisure sector. | 63.5 | Exc. | ||
| Prioritise partnerships with the water, sanitation and hygiene sector. | 63.1 | Exc. | ||
| Prioritise partnerships with the agriculture and rural development sector. | 62.6 | Exc. | ||
| 7. Priorities for inclusive global governance with strengthened accountability. | Increase funding for advocacy, research, policy and implementation. | 88.7 | – | 3 |
| Develop regional strategies, and action plans for drowning prevention. | 86.8 | – | 5 | |
| Establish a global alliance for drowning prevention. | 85.8 | – | 8 | |
| Prioritise inclusion of high burden populations in decision-making and global governance. | 85.0 | – | 11 | |
| Convene multistakeholder meetings and forums to coordinate drowning prevention efforts. | 83.5 | – | 15 | |
| Adopt a targeted country approach, by selecting 10 priority countries across different contexts to identify and share novel approaches. | 81.4 | – | 23 | |
| Develop a global strategy for drowning prevention. | 73.7 | 82.5 | 34 | |
| Develop a business case for establishing a global fund for drowning prevention. | 73.5 | 81.7 | 37 | |
Note: * priority included in round two as advisory recommendation as scored highly by LMIC participants in round one.
Exc, excluded after round one; ILO, International Labour Organization; IMO, International Maritime Organization; Inc, included in another priority after round one; IOM, International Organization for Migration; LMICs, low and middle-income countries; MSA, multisectoral action; SDG, Sustainable Development Goal; UN, United Nations; UNDP, United Nations Development Programme; UNISDR, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction.