World Hearing Day-Ear and Hearing Care for Everybody

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Highlights:

• Ear and hearing disorders are among the most prevalent problems faced in the community
• Approximately 60% of these are detectable and treatable at the primary level of care
• Training and capacity building at this level allows for the integration of ear and hearing care into primary care services

If we are going to take care of our hearing abilities from now on, we will always have a healthy hearing. To bring this saying to life, the World Health Organization (WHO) is commemorating March 3 as World Hearing Day.

World Hearing Day is an annual global advocacy event and the most comprehensive awareness campaign urging action to address hearing loss and related issues. By commemorating this day, we raise awareness about hearing loss and the need for ear and hearing care, allowing communities around the world to highlight this critical health problem as a national agenda item.

‘Every year on March 3, World Hearing Day is observed to raise awareness about how to avoid deafness and hearing loss and to improve ear and hearing care around the world.’

Every year, this day focuses on a different topic.

World Hearing Day-WHO Objectives

The goals of World Hearing Day include spreading information about hearing loss prevention and encouraging improved hearing care.

On World Hearing Day 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) will emphasize the necessity of integrating ear and hearing care within primary care as an essential component of universal health coverage.

Release of Training Manual

On World Hearing Day 2023, the WHO will release a new training handbook, "Basic ear and hearing care training manual for health professionals and general practitioners." A trainer's handbook and other community resources will be included in the manual.

World Hearing Day is a global healthcare event held annually on March 3rd from its headquarters in Geneva, intending to bring together patients suffering from hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care by creating a community in which the epidemiological profile, condition, diagnosis, and treatment are discussed.

Approximately 5% of the global population (43 crore) requires rehabilitation to treat "disabling" hearing loss. Around 70 crore people, or almost one out of every 10 people, are likely to suffer from serious hearing loss by 2050, according to estimates.

Disabling hearing loss is defined as hearing loss greater than 35 decibels (dB) in the better-hearing ear. Nearly 80% of people with hearing loss live in the United States.

Theme of World Hearing Day 2023

The theme of World Hearing Day 2023 in 2023 is "Everyone Can Get Ear and Hearing Care! Let's Make It Happen! ", a call to patients, governments, world leaders, and concerned stakeholders in positions of power to collaborate to raise awareness about the issues encountered by patients with hearing loss.

The Significance of World Hearing Day

While more than 150 million people worldwide have hearing loss, over 43 million have debilitating hearing loss. The following are some alarming facts about debilitating hearing loss:

• The majority of them live in low- and middle-income countries with limited access to essential services and interventions
• Hearing loss is the leading cause of morbidity and costs the world $98,000 crore per year
• Hearing loss is expected to become more prevalent in the coming decades as a result of changing demographics, increased exposure to risk factors such as recreational noise, and the persistence of untreated ear illnesses like otitis media (middle ear infection)
• It also supports the collaboration between various medical groups striving for scientific research on crippling hearing loss and the concerted regulation of various measures restricting sound pollution

History of World Hearing Day

Since 2007, World Hearing Day has been sponsored by the World Health Organization's Office for the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness on March 3rd.

Previous World Hearing Day themes include:

• The theme of World Hearing Day 2022 is "To hear for life, listen with attention"
• The theme of World Hearing Day 2021 is "Hearing Care for Everyone"
• The theme of WHD 2020 is "Hearing for a Lifetime. Don't allow your hearing loss to hold you back."
• The topic for World Hearing Day 2019 is "Check your hearing"
• The 2018 World Hearing Day theme is "Hear the Future"
• The World Hearing Day "campaign's success"

In 2017, the World Health Assembly approved a decision on the prevention of deafness, stressing hearing care and hearing loss as public health concerns. This resolution calls on the World Health Organization and its member countries to lobby annually on March 3rd through World Hearing Day.

What can be done to Prevent Hearing Loss

The incoming flood of disabling hearing loss can only be met with knowledge. Understanding can aid in the early detection of hearing loss, and it is more likely to be successful if the device is brought to the patient. Through increased understanding, policies and decisions can be influenced, such as:

• Certification in the ear and hearing care health workforce training, and so on
• Advice and assistance with optimal hearing loss healthcare
• Ear and hearing care facilitation and data generation

Hearing Impairment Prevention on a Personal level

Several causes of hearing loss can be avoided by employing public health and treatment initiatives such as:

• Vaccination
• Excellent parenting and child-rearing practices
• Genetic consultation
• Common ear diseases are diagnosed and treated
• Occupational hearing conservation programs for noise and chemical exposure

Take Home Message

It is important to understand that many causes of hearing loss can be avoided with adequate care. Patients with hearing loss benefit greatly from timely and appropriate therapies. If suitable public health measures are implemented, at least 60% of childhood hearing loss can be averted.

Hence, On the occasion of World Hearing Day, let us give some time to healthy hearing so that we can hear for longer.

You can spread awareness through social media using the following hashtags: #safelistening #worldhearingday #hearingcare.

Source: Medindia

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