DESPITE NATIONAL and Europe-wide awareness campaigns, drowning is still the second main cause of injury and death among children in Europe, with more drowning while on holiday abroad than in their own countries, according to the European Association for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion (EuroSafe).
A collation of Europe-wide data, carried out by EuroSafe as part of a water safety campaign, the Water Wise Campaign has revealed that in the Algarve, a region with more than 150 kilometres of coastline, 83 per cent of child drownings between 2000 and 2007 occurred in swimming pools.
Of those, only one pool was fenced and 72 per cent of the victims were
 83 per cent of child drownings between 2000 and 2007 occurred in swimming pools. |
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children visiting, mostly from abroad.
Each year, there are around 30 fatal drownings in Portugal. However, the data collected by EuroSafe reveals that there are an average of 648 swimming pool injuries every day in the EU.
The most common factor associated with drowning across the EU was found to be inadequate supervision and alcohol use, which contributed to poorer supervision of children.
There are many simple ways to avoid these tragedies from occurring, with the most effective being the prevention of unsupervised access to water, such as swimming pools, rivers, the sea and wells.
Avoid tragedy
Swimming pool fencing, whereby property and the pool are enclosed, greatly protects children by denying accidental access. Pool alarms and adequate pool covers also provide additional protection – these must be used appropriately and consistently to be effective.
The use of personal flotation devices is also important, with their use being estimated to prevent 85 per cent of annual boating related drowning.
Parents and guardians should be aware of local dangers when going on holiday. When at sea, swim in supervised areas. The Associação para a Promoção de Segurança Infantil (APSI), the association for the promotion of child safety, revealed that the only children who died in the ocean in Portugal in 2006 were teenagers swimming in unsupervised beaches off season.
The Instituto de Socorros a Náufragos (ISN), the institute of emergency maritime rescue, has revealed that accidents at beaches in Portugal have reduced in the last three years.”Each year we have had to carry out less rescues,” said ISN spokesman Nuno Leitão. “Some 975 rescues were carried out in 2007, compared with more than 1,500 in the two years previously.”
For more information about the EU Water Wise Campaign, please visit the EuroSafe website, available in English at www.eurosafe.eu.com
Heat waves expected
THE NATIONAL meteorological institute has revealed that this summer is expected to be one of the hottest in the last 25 years.
According to the institute, temperatures for June, July and August are expected to be 0.5 degrees above average, with the highest likely to be recorded in central and southern Portugal.
Meteorologist Manuel Costa Alves said: “If the predictions are correct then we could have a very serious situation, similar to that of 2003 when 1,953 people died because of the heat.”
As well as high temperatures, the meteorological institute also alerts to high levels of ultra violet (UV) radiation, which is measured on a scale from the lowest level of one to the highest level of 11.
The UV levels for the Algarve are expected to remain at a minimum of Very High (between eight and 10) this summer, with the use of sun glasses with adequate UV protection, a hat, t-shirt and high factor sun lotion recommended.
For daily weather forecasts and UV predictions, please visit the website, available in English, at www.meteo.pt
Deaths increase
Meanwhile, a national study has revealed that deaths increase by 60 per cent in hospitals without air conditioning during a heat wave.
The study was carried out by the Instituto Nacional de Saúde Dr. Ricardo Jorge, which collected data from all 41 state-run hospitals in Portugal. Researchers compared the deaths of patients aged above 45 during heat waves and found that only 30 per cent of the deaths occurred in air conditioned rooms. Patients over the age of 65 and those interned in general hospitals were found to be most at risk.
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