Nearly 2. At least million of these people will require access to ear and hearing care and other rehabilitation services unless action is taken. The report, launched ahead of World Hearing Day on 3 March, underlines the need to rapidly step up efforts to prevent and address hearing loss by investing and expanding access to ear and hearing care services. Lack of accurate information and stigmatizing attitudes to ear diseases and hearing loss often limit people from accessing care for these conditions.
In most countries, ear and hearing care is still not integrated into national health systems and accessing care services is challenging for those with ear diseases and hearing loss.
Moreover, access to ear and hearing care is poorly measured and documented, and relevant indicators are lacking in the health information system. But the most glaring gap in health system capacity is in human resources.
This gap can be closed through integration of ear and hearing care into primary health care through strategies such as task sharing and training, outlined in the report. Even in countries with relatively high proportions of ear and hearing care professionals, there is unequal distribution of specialists. This not only poses challenges for people in need of care, but also places unreasonable demands on the cadres providing these services.
In adults, noise control, safe listening and surveillance of ototoxic medicines together with good ear hygiene can help maintain good hearing and reduce the potential for hearing loss. Identification is the first step in addressing hearing loss and related ear diseases.
