Childhood hearing loss: act now, here's how

Overview

The way humans perceive their world is mediated through sensory experiences. Of all the senses, it is hearing which fundamentally facilitates communication and fosters social interaction, allowing people to forge relationships, participate in daily activities, be alerted to danger, and experience life events.
Around 360 million people – 5% of the world’s population – live with hearing loss which is considered disabling; of these, nearly 32 million are children. The vast majority live in the world’s low-income and middle-income countries.
For children hearing is key to learning spoken language, performing academically, and engaging socially. Hearing loss poses a barrier to education and social integration. As such children with hearing loss can benefit greatly from being identified early in life and offered appropriate interventions.
WHO estimates that around 60% of childhood hearing loss could be avoided through prevention measures. When unavoidable, interventions are needed to ensure that children reach their full potential through rehabilitation, education and empowerment. Action is needed on both fronts.