英伦广角 每年约14万儿童死于溺水（在线收听）

On average, every hour of every day more than 40 people drown around the world. That’s 372,000 fatalities annually. Drownings are one of the top 10 killers of kids and young adults, with the highest rate of drowning deaths among children under five years of age.

每天每小时全世界平均有40多人因溺水而亡，每年死亡人数多达37.2万。溺水是儿童及青年的十大死亡杀手之一，而5岁以下儿童溺水死亡率最高。

\So finds the World Health Organization’s first global report on drowning, which they call a “neglected public health issue.”

世界卫生组织发布的全球首份有关溺水问题的报告也得出此结论。他们将其称之为“被忽视的公共健康问题”。

The just–published analysis represents the first global snapshot of a problem which especially hits low- and middle-income nations. Drownings have become more rare in the U.S. in recent years, but the latest figures from the CDC indicate that even in the states some 3,800 people die by unintentional drowning each year.

这份新公布的报告表现了世界首次关注尤其在中低收入国家高发的问题。近几年溺水问题在美国已很少见，但美国疾病控制中心公布的最新数据表明，即使在美国每年也有约3800人意外溺亡。

The WHO analysis finds that globally males are twice as likely to die by drowning compared to females. Likely reasons include riskier behavior like swimming alone or drinking alcohol before engaging in water activities.

世界卫生组织分析发现，全球男性可能溺亡的人数是女性的两倍。可能造成此结果的原因包括，独自游泳及参加水上活动前饮酒等一些高风险行为。

The report notes that local communities can take steps to help avert drowning deaths. WHO recommends installing barriers around water and teaching swimming, proper water safety and rescue techniques. At a national level, improved boating regulations, water safety policies and flood risk management would also help more people make it home safely.

该报告提示称，当地社区可以采取行动避免溺亡事件发生。世界卫生组织推荐社区在水域周围安装护栏、教授人们游泳、适当的水域安全及救援技术。从国家层面看，改善船只管理条例、水域安全政策和洪水风险管理也都将利于人们安全回家。