Drowning deaths decline in Western Pacific, urgent action still needed: WHO

MANILA, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- At least 84,000 people drown each year in the Western Pacific region, with many of these deaths occurring in children and young people, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data released on Saturday.

The WHO Western Pacific said that drowning is currently the leading cause of death for children aged five to 14 years in the region.

"Compared to the rest of the world,