World Hearing Day 2023: Ear And Hearing Care For All

The World Health Organisation notes that ear and hearing problems are one of the most common health issues globally and World Hearing Day 2023 is drawing urgent attention to the need for ear and hearing care to be an integral part of primary health care to help prevent, identify, and manage hearing loss.

Two initiatives that are working towards this goal are; the World Health Organisation's 'Ear and Hearing Care for All' training manual and handbook for Primary Health providers (GP’s), and 'The living guidelines for cochlear implantation in adults,’ produced by the Global CI Task Force. Both aim to help health professionals in supporting clients with hearing loss, identifying their needs, and referring them to appropriate providers, such as cochlear implant programmes when hearing aids are no longer enough.

The World Health Organisation training manual and accompanying handbook for Primary Health Care providers (GP's) titled "WHO Primary Ear and Hearing Care Manuals," is a practical guide for GP practices to prevent, identify, and manage hearing loss.

Michel Neeff, Clinical Director of the Northern Cochlear Implant Programme, and CI surgeon, explained that “With both of these documents, the training manual and Living guidelines, adults living with hearing loss and clinicians treating hearing loss will have consistent evidence-based advice about how to identify, treat and refer to an appropriate provider, be that an audiologist for a hearing aid, or the cochlear implant programmes for assessment.”

Lee Schoushkoff, CEO of the Pindrop Foundation, stresses the importance of establishing a consistent approach to optimizing care for the 1 in 5 adults who may not benefit adequately from hearing aids and need access to cochlear implant technology. "Unfortunately, in Aotearoa NZ, like many countries, hearing assessments are not part of routine health check-ups for adults. For those who do receive hearing checks and are diagnosed with severe to profound Hearing Loss, only some are being referred to the cochlear implant programmes. These initiatives will help ."

The Living Guidelines Global Task Force encourages health professionals, individuals, and families to provide feedback on the living guidelines for adult cochlear implantation. The World Health Organisation is encouraging people to download and share 'The Primary Ear and Hearing Care' Training Manual and Handbook for GP’s with their health centres. All are available and can be accessed on the Pindrop Foundation website at: https://www.pindrop.org.nz/articles/world-hearing-day-2023/

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