Hearing Impairment in Developing Countries

 

The World Health Organisation estimates that a staggering 50% of hearing impairment can be prevented.

Hearing impairment can have disastrous impact on the development of speech, communication, learning and social integration. Appropriate intervention is essential for children to have a chance in life. Without auditory rehabilitation, hearing impaired and deaf children in developing countries are routinely abandoned.

In developing countries, millions of hearing impaired children do not have hearing aids or rehabilitation support. In contrast, Australian children with hearing loss receive complete rehabilitation support, including free hearing aids.

In developing countries there is a huge need for audiology services. In 1995, the World Health Organisation estimated that there were at least 120 million people in the world with a disabling hearing impairment of which 78 million were in developing countries.

This report also showed that in South-East Asia, 25 million people were estimated to have a disabling hearing impairment, of which approximately 2.5 million were children aged under 18 years.