Drowning-related deaths rose in the Philippines between 2000 and 2021, a World Health Organization (WHO) report found.

"The Western Pacific Region has made substantial progress in reducing mortality due to drowning during the past two decades," the WHO noted.

"Death rates due to drowning decreased in all countries in the Region except for one, the Philippines," the agency further noted.

While no figures were provided, WHO identified that children, males, and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning.

Globally, the highest drowning rates are among children zero to four years, followed by children five to 14 years, according to WHO.

Males, meanwhile, are more likely to be hospitalized than females for non-fatal drowning as studies suggest that the higher drowning rates among males are due to increased exposure to water and riskier behavior such as swimming alone, drinking alcohol before swimming alone, and boating.

Increased access to disasters is also another risk factor for drowning, the WHO noted that individuals with occupations such as commercial fishing or fishing for subsistence, using small boats in low-income countries are more prone to drowning.

According to a 2022 Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources data, the total number of local fisherfolk amounted to around 2.3 million in the country.

Meanwhile, children who live near open water sources, such as ditches, ponds, irrigation channels, or pools are especially at risk.

WHO also noted that 70 percent of Filipinos live in coastal areas.

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for nine percent of all injury-related deaths, according to WHO.

Every year, there are over 300,000 drowning deaths worldwide.