More than 400 million individuals experiencing hearing loss could find value in hearing devices, yet less than 20 per cent of those people actually get hearing aids.
These statistics are highlighted in the recently released World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on improving access to hearing care, published on Friday, ahead of World Hearing Day.
The director of the WHO’s Department for Noncommunicable Diseases, Dr Bente Mikkelsen said unaddressed hearing loss is a global public health challenge and incurs an estimated cost of over US$ 1 trillion annually.
Dr Mikkelsen said, “Given the global shortage of ear and hearing care specialists, we have to rethink how we traditionally deliver services.”
By 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to experience a degree of hearing loss, as populations around the world age.
More than 700 million will likely require hearing rehabilitation, according to estimates by the WHO.
But nearly 80 per cent of people with disabling hearing loss live in low-income countries – which historically have lacked capacity for providing assistive devices like hearing aids.
The Guidelines
The release of the new guideline coincides with World Hearing Day, commemorated on 3 March annually.
The theme for 2024 “Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all”, highlights the importance of correcting misconceptions of hearing loss that are common among the general public and primary health providers.
WHO said the new document is designed to provide practical guidance to countries in developing hearing aid services in areas that lack human resources for assessing hearing, as well as fitting and maintaining hearing aids.
Findings by Lafiya360 shows that addressing hearing loss is not necessarily expensive. An investment of $1.4 per person annually would be sufficient to scale up ear and hearing care services worldwide, according to WHO.
To overcome current limitations of capacity, the guidelines encourage more service delivery by non-specialists, based in primary health care settings.
Debunking misconceptions and stigma around hearing loss is another key aim of the guidelines, created with the support of ATscale Global Partnership for Assistive Technology.
Dr Shelly Chadha, technical lead for ear and hearing care at WHO said common myths about hearing loss often prevent people from seeking the services they require, even where these services are available.
Dr Chadha said any effort to improve hearing care provision through health system strengthening must be accompanied by work to raise awareness within societies and address stigma related to ear and hearing care.