3rd March, 2014
Eromosele Ebhomele
The World Health Organisation, WHO, has released a report showing that 360 million people across the world are deaf.
This figure, according to WHO, is just over five percent of the world population.
The United Nations agency further lamented in the report that many countries lack the capacity to prevent and treat hearing loss.
The report is coming as the world marks this year’s International Ear Care Day, an enlightenment programme held on 3 March, every year to draw attention to the increasing rate, causes and prevention of hearing loss.
The lamentation from WHO concerning the refusal of countries to act stems from the response of 76 countries to its survey on how countries of the world are making efforts to reduce what has become a major health concern.
The report said many of the countries which responded to a new WHO survey lack the capacity to prevent and care for hearing loss.
Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, said: “the results of this survey are a clear call to action for governments and partners to invest in hearing care especially at community and primary level.”
The highest prevalence of hearing loss, according to the report, is found in the Asia Pacific, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, adding that half of all cases of hearing loss worldwide are easily preventable or treated.
The survey showed that just 32 of the 76 countries which responded have developed plans and programmes to prevent and control ear diseases and hearing loss.
Many countries, the report said, lack trained health personnel, educational facilities, data and national plans to address the needs of those living with problems associated with the ear.
WHO said the information made available to it also indicates a major gap between need and services in sub-Saharan Africa.
Krug maintained that the results of this survey “are a clear call to action for governments and partners to invest in hearing care especially at community and primary level.
“The programmes must aim to benefit all, including disadvantaged parts of the population who are least able to access hearing services.”
The WHO disclosed that a leading cause of hearing loss in younger ages, especially in low and middle-income countries, is untreated ear infections, which often comes with discharge from the ear.
Infectious diseases such as rubella, meningitis, measles, or mumps, which could be prevented with vaccines, can also lead to hearing loss.
To protect the ear, the international health institution advocated for people to reduce exposure to noise and avoiding insertion of objects into the ears.
It also advocated for screening programmes for infants, saying this could minimise the impact of hearing loss on a child’s development.
Urging countries to develop a unique plan based on their specific situation, the prevalent causes of hearing loss as well as the available health infrastructure they could establish, the WHO appealed for thorough sensitisation of the people.