WHO: 1 in 4 people projected to have hearing problems by 2050
"When unaddressed, hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at individual level"
and collective too.
|
"Communication and speechCognition
Education and Employment: In developing
countries, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not
receive schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much
higher unemployment rate. Among those who are employed, a higher
percentage of people with hearing loss are in the lower grades of
employment compared with the general workforce." |
"Nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide ─ or 1 in 4 people ─ will be
living with some degree of hearing loss by 2050, warns the World
Health Organization’s (WHO) first World Report on Hearing,
released today. At least 700 million of these people will require
access to ear and hearing care and other rehabilitation services
unless action is taken."
|
|
"But the most glaring gap in health system capacity is in human
resources. Among low-income countries, about 78% have fewer than
one ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist per million population;
93% have fewer than one audiologist per million; only 17% have one
or more speech therapist per million; and 50% have one or more
teacher for the deaf per million. This gap can be closed through
integration of ear and hearing care into primary health care
through strategies such as task sharing and training, outlined in
the report."
|
"Impact on society and economy Years Lived with Disability (YDLs) and Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual global cost of US$ 980 billion. This includes health sector costs (excluding the cost of hearing devices), costs of educational support, loss of productivity, and societal costs. 57% of these costs are attributed to low- and middle-income countries." |
Sources:
https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2021-who-1-in-4-people-projected-to-have-hearing-problems-by-2050
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss
Dear colleagues,
We have recently published an article that presents some insights from Canada
(full-text available from ResearchGate https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343400636_Here's_to_sound_action_on_global_hearing_health_through_public_health_approaches )Shroff, F.M. and Jung, D. (2020), "Here's to sound action on global hearing health through public health approaches", International Journal of Health Governance, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 235-244. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHG-01-2020-0004
Abstract Purpose – A global pandemic, non-occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a completely preventable public health problem, which receives limited air time. This study has dual purposes: to contribute to scholarly literature that puts non-occupational NIHL on the global priority map and to effect change in the City of Vancouver’s policies toward noise.
Design/methodology/approach – Experts in public health and hearing health were contacted in addition to a scoping literature search on PubMed. Information pertaining to both developed and developing countries was obtained, and comparison was made to Canada where possible. The authors met with elected officials at the City of Vancouver to inform them of the win–win aspects of policies that promoted better hearing.
Findings – Non-occupational NIHL is an underappreciated issue in Canada and many other countries, as seen by the lack of epidemiological data and public health initiatives. Other countries, such as Australia, have more robust research and public health programs, but most of the world lags behind. Better hearing health is possible through targeted campaigns addressing root causes of non-occupational, recreational noise–positive associations with loud noise. By redefining social norms so that soft to moderate sounds are associated with positive values and loud sounds are negatively attributed, the societies will prevent leisure NIHL. The authors recommend widespread national all-age campaigns that benefit from successful public health campaigns of the past, such as smoking cessation, safety belts and others. Soft Sounds are Healthy (SSH) is a suggested name for a campaign that would take many years, ample resources and sophisticated understanding of behavior change to be effective.
Research limitations/implications – A gap exists in the collection of non-occupational NIHL data. Creating indicators and regularly collecting data is a high priority for most nations. Beyond data collection, prevention of non-occupational NIHL ought to be a high priority. Studies in each region would propel understanding, partly to discern the cultural factors that would predispose the general population to change favorable attitudes toward loud sounds to associations of moderate sounds with positivity. Evaluations of these campaigns would then follow.
Practical implications – Everyday life for many people around the world, particularly in cities, is loud. Traffic, construction, loudspeakers, music and other loud sounds abound. Many people have adapted to these loud soundscapes, and others suffer from the lack of peace and quiet. Changing cultural attitudes toward loud sound will improve human and animal health, lessen the burden on healthcare systems and positively impact the economy. Social implications–Industries that create loud technologies and machinery ought to be required to find ways to soften noise. Regulatory mechanisms that are enforced by law and fines ought to be in place. When governments take up the banner of hearing health, they will help to set a new tone toward loud sounds as undesirable, and this will partially address the root causes of the problem of non-occupational NIHL.
Thanks
Irina Ibragimova, PhD
Co-editor, International Journal of Health Governance
HIFA profile: Irina Ibraghimova is a medical librarian, based in Croatia, and works with health care professionals in the countries of the Former Soviet Union, Central and Eastern Europe, and Africa. Her interests include evidence-based practice (both in health care and in library/informatics field). She is a HIFA Country Representative for Croatia. https://www.hifa.org/support/members/irina www.lrcnetwork.org www.healthconnect-intl.org ibra AT zadar.net
Source:
HIFA https://www.hifa.org/
(Posted a little late...)
orcid.org/0000-0002-0192-8965