|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Ghana has launched a national lifeguarding initiative to reduce drowning incidents and improve safety across beaches and inland water bodies, marking a major step in addressing one of the country’s most preventable public safety challenges.
The initiative was officially unveiled on at the Labadi Beach Hotel, bringing together government officials, security agencies, development partners, and community stakeholders committed to strengthening water safety systems nationwide.
The programme is being led by the National Coordination Board for Drowning Prevention with technical support from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and the Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit, and support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, described drowning as a persistent and urgent national concern, stressing the need for coordinated and sustained action.
He said drowning continues to pose a significant threat to public safety, particularly among children and young people, and called for collective efforts to ensure that everyday activities around water bodies are carried out safely.
Available estimates suggest that about 1,400 people die annually from drowning in Ghana. Stakeholders at the event noted that most of these deaths are preventable through public education, enforcement of safety measures, and the deployment of trained rescue personnel.
As part of the intervention, trained lifeguards are being deployed to high-risk coastal areas to provide immediate response and enhance safety. Early implementation has begun in the La Dade Kotopon Municipality, where 21 lifeguards have been stationed at key beaches including Laboma, La Pleasure, and Acapulco.
The lifeguards have received training in water rescue, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and risk assessment, and are being employed by the municipal assembly, a move aimed at ensuring sustainability of the programme.
The initiative is anchored on multi-agency collaboration involving the Ghana Navy, Ghana National Fire Service, Ghana Police Service, National Ambulance Service, and the National Security Council Secretariat.
A representative of the Ghana Navy, Ben Baba Abdul, emphasized that drowning prevention requires a unified national response, noting that no single institution can address the challenge alone.
The launch also saw the inauguration of the National Coordination Board for Drowning Prevention, which will provide strategic leadership, coordinate stakeholder efforts, and guide the expansion of the initiative across the country.
Authorities say the programme will be scaled up to other coastal and inland communities as part of a long-term strategy to reduce drowning deaths and improve public safety nationwide.
