Drowning is the leading cause of death among Thai children under 15 years old. Every year, 1,500 people drown in Thailand. Recognizing the urgency of this public health crisis, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in Thailand took decisive action and spearheaded a comprehensive drowning prevention program. The MERIT MAKER initiative was developed, encompassing ten crucial components, including Management, Environment, Resuscitation, Information, Training (Survival Swimming), Media, Advocacy, Kindergarten/Day care, Education, and Research.
“This approach guided all of our drowning prevention work in Thailand,” said Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, Director General of the Department of Disease Control at MOPH. “Before, our public health officials didn’t really know where to start when talking about drowning, now, everything is based on the 10 components, they know what to do, how to train others and what to focus on.”
Since its inception in 2015, the MERIT MAKER initiative has undergone continuous evolution and refinement to adapt to changing contexts and situations. The program encompasses a multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing community engagement and leveraging local resources for effective implementation.
The MOPH played a pivotal role in driving and coordinating national policies and laws to protect the population from drowning. They established Thai Drowning Prevention Day, launched awareness campaigns, and integrated drowning prevention measures into various sectors, such as education and child health promotion. The Ministry also ensured that public health facilities incorporated drowning prevention programs into their ‘well baby’ clinics.
Concrete actions have been taken to enforce safety regulations, such as introducing warning labels on baby bathtubs and setting swimming and water safety standards for water tourism. Furthermore, the MOPH collaborated with multiple agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Transport, among others, to establish a comprehensive national drowning prevention system and network.
The impact of the MERIT MAKER initiative has been significant. Since its implementation, drowning incidents among children under 15 have decreased by an impressive 33.5% between 2014 and 2020. These results highlight the program's effectiveness in saving lives and protecting communities.
“Thailand have demonstrated drowning can be prevented at the national level through implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective drowning prevention interventions,” said Dr David Meddings, Technical Lead for Drowning Prevention at WHO. "Further, Thailand have highlighted the importance of multisectoral collaboration for sustained, wide-scale drowning prevention programmes.”