Experts advise learning to swim to prevent infant mortality from drowning

Farhana Nila :

‘‘If my baby knew how to swim, he wouldn’t drown! Why didn’t I teach my child to swim ‘’ Zainab Begum was lamenting and crying like this. This mother cannot accept the death of her only child Mahim (7).

Mahim died while picking water lilies at Charghat in Rajshahi. Although he did not know how to swim, he often went out with other children to pick up water lilies. But Mahim could not come back that day.

The rainy season is going on. At this time rivers, canals and beels are full of water. At this time, the children who know how to swim are engrossed in water sports. But children who do not know how to swim? It became a disaster for them. Young children who do not know how to swim and adults who see them also fall down and play in this water. And then they sinks in deep water. In this way many lives are lost.

So to prevent drowning in cities and villages, IDRCB started an organization called ‘Anchal’ to teach swimming. The journey of this organization started in 2006. The company has already gained widespread popularity. Anchal started teaching swimming in 2006 with 1600 children. At present 40,000 children are learning to swim. Children between the ages of four and 10 are taught to swim.

Basically, areas where children are more at risk of drowning and where there are ponds are identified as places to learn to swim. The Michael Bloomberg Foundation, a US-based organization, is providing financial support for the child’s learning to swim. The organization has taken steps to provide swimming training to 80,000 children. Initially, the organization has started working by giving priority to the areas where the infant mortality rate is higher.

Director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB) Dr. Aminur Rahman said, if you are a little careful, it is possible to reduce the death rate by drowning. It is possible to save the life of any person if he can swim 25 meters after falling into the water. If you can swim at this time, the rescuer will be able to bring the drowned person ashore.

The researcher said that 80 percent of the children who fell into the water in our country died between 9 am and 1 am. Studies have shown that at this time of the day, parents, siblings are busy outside or any other work. As a result, the child fell into the water while playing with his playmates. So the area keeps the children in a center at this time and does educational activities including teaching swimming. In this way the death of many children can be avoided.

In this regard, Dr. Shahnaz Islami, a pediatrician, said that swimming is very useful for keeping the body, health and mind of children in good condition. People who know how to swim can save their lives as well as save others from drowning. And I think one of the best ways to prevent drowning is to teach all children to swim from the age of four. It is more useful to be able to do that in schools. ”

In this regard, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nesa Indira said that the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs has launched a swimming training program to protect children from drowning. 3 lakh children have been trained to save the lives of children through swimming training program and training of 2,80,000 more children is underway. Work is also underway to formulate a project on children’s swimming training.