360m people globally face hearing loss: WHO

More than 360 million people in the world experience hearing loss, says a new World Health Organisation (WHO) report issued on the occasion of International Ear Care Day to be observed on 3rd March.
As the aged population grew globally, more people than ever before were facing hearing loss. One in three persons over the age of 65 years, a total of 165 million people worldwide, lived with hearing loss. Although hearing loss from ageing could often be helped with hearing devices, at present not many were being produced to meet the growing global demand.
“Current production of hearing aids meets less than 10% of global need. In developing countries, fewer than one out of 40 people who need a hearing aid have one,” said WHO’s Department of Prevention of Blindness and Deafness Dr Shelly Chadha.
“WHO is exploring technology transfer as a way to promote access to hearing aids in developing countries,” she added.
Meanwhile, an additional 32 million affected by hearing loss were children under the age of 15. Infections of the ear were the leading cause of the disability, especially in low and middle-income countries. Prevalence of disabling hearing loss was the highest in South Asia, Asia Pacific and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the latest WHO review of available studies.
Infectious diseases such as rubella, meningitis, measles and mumps could lead to hearing loss. Most of these diseases could be prevented through vaccination. Other common causes of hearing loss included exposure to excessive noise, injuries to the ear or head, ageing, genetic causes, problems during pregnancy and childbirth (such as cytomegalovirus infection or syphilis) and the use of medications that could damage hearing.
“About half of all cases of hearing loss are easily preventable while many can be treated through early diagnosis and suitable interventions such as surgically implanted hearing devices. Individuals with hearing loss can also benefit from sign language training and social support,” Dr Shelly said.
WHO had been encouraging countries to develop programmes for preventing hearing loss within their primary health care systems including vaccinating children against measles, meningitis, mumps and rubella, screening/treating syphilis in pregnant women and early assessment and management of hearing loss in infants.