Around 372,000 people drown each year, mostly children in low-income countries. So why has there been such a lack of attention paid to the problem? In journalism parlance, any story which includes the phrase ‘kids will die’ is a front-page splash. But when it comes to the war-weary public health sector, it barely causes a ripple. Which perhaps goes some way to explaining why it has taken until now for a Global Report on Drowning to be released by the World Health Organization. The raw statistics are almost too big to contemplate: 372,000 people drown every year, mostly children in low-income countries. That doesn’t include those who perish in flood-related disasters or water transport accidents. Yet the journey to getting accurate data and promoting action has been long and arduous, fuelled by small investments and the dedication of a handful of not-for-profit organisations.