Nearly 32 million children across the world live with disabling hearing loss, a new World Health Organization (WHO) report has revealed.
The report, dubbed “Childhood hearing loss: act now, here’s how”, suggests that 60 per cent of this can be prevented.
It also highlighted that if hearing loss was detected early enough, and if children receive the care they needed, they could reach their full potential.
“A child who struggles to hear may also struggle to learn to speak, underachieve at school and end up socially isolated,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department for Management of Non-communicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention.
“But this doesn’t have to happen. We have a range of tools to help prevent, detect and treat childhood hearing loss,” he added.
According to the report, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday by Christian Lindmeier, Communications Officer of the WHO, there were many causes of childhood hearing loss.
It said it was estimated that 40 per cent was attributable to genetic causes; 31 per cent to infections such as measles, mumps, rubella and meningitis; and 17 per cent to complications at birth, including prematurity, low birth weight and neonatal jaundice.
In addition, an estimated four per cent resulted from expectant mothers and new-borns unknowingly using medicines that were harmful to hearing.
The report observed that to prevent childhood hearing loss, immunizing children against diseases and regulating certain medicines and noise levels were vital.
“Early identification of those children with hearing loss helps to trigger the needed interventions, such as the provision of hearing devices and other communication therapies.
“Hearing screening programmes for infants, and pre-school and school-based children, alongside hearing care training for health professionals, can dramatically improve the lives of children.
“Such programmes ensure that those in need of specialized care receive the interventions they need to be able to communicate, receive education and gain employment later in life,” it stated.
It said raising public awareness about ear and hearing care was another key strategy for reducing hearing loss and associated stigma around the use of hearing devices.
It indicated that strengthening organizations of people with hearing loss and their families could contribute greatly to this effort.
The WHO report included case studies from Cambodia, Canada, Thailand, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vietnam and the United States which showcased the impact that programmes in these and other countries were having on the lives of children across the world.
It said in settings public health interventions, such as immunization programmes, early detection and treatment were key.
WHO collates data and information on hearing loss to demonstrate its prevalence, causes and impact as well as opportunities for prevention and management; assists countries to develop and implement strategies for hearing care that are integrated into the primary health-care system; and provides technical resources and guidance for planning, implementation and human resource development.
World Hearing Day is an annual advocacy event held on 3 March. It aims to raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care across the world.
The theme for World Hearing Day 2016 is Childhood hearing loss; act now, here’s how!
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