RNLI Co-hosts International Workshop

The RNLI recently co-hosted a global workshop focused on basic swimming skills in low resource settings for children in Vietnam. The event took place from the 4-8 May in Hue, Vietnam, with the World Health Organisation (WHO), Royal Lifesaving Society Commonwealth (RLSSC) and Hue Help.

The five-day workshop welcomed representatives from more than 30 organisations worldwide and shared information and strategies to help organisations implement survival swimming programmes.

In 2022, the WHO published practical guidance to support governments and organisations in low- and middle-income countries to implement community-based actions to prevent drowning, including the implementation of basic swimming and water safety skills. This workshop focused on translating those guidelines into action, helping organisations understand how to effectively implement them in their communities.

Drowning is a major cause of global mortality, accounting for 300 000 annual drowning deaths worldwide. Drowning disproportionately impacts children and young people. Children aged under 5 years account for nearly a quarter of all drowning deaths and 92% of drowning deaths occur in low- and middle-income countriesⁱ.

Sessions covered a range of topics, including emergency action planning, medical screening, and programme planning and monitoring, and were delivered through a combination of peer learning and hands-on training. Participants were equipped with tools and resources to strengthen programme delivery, while also building stronger networks and fostering collaboration across the global drowning prevention community.

Tom Mecrow, RNLI International Senior Evidence Manager said: ‘We were delighted to co-host this workshop in Vietnam and come together to look at practical ways to strengthen safe practices in the implementation of basic swimming and water safety skills in low-resource settings.

‘It was a pleasure to meet with organisations from across the world and share learnings and guidance with a collective aim of reducing global drowning deaths.’

Bryony May from the Darcey Sunshine Foundation, a nonprofit organisation in South Africa who attended the workshop said: “How powerful it is when we collaborate, the shared lessons, the shared learning, there is so much to grow in, and I think that will help us all in our combined efforts to globally prevent drowning”. 

Over 30 organisations attended the workshop including UNICEF Cambodia, the Kenya Red Cross Society, and The George Institute for Global Health.