WHO to establish the World Hearing Forum

The World Hearing Forum will serve as an advocacy network committed to facilitating implementation of the World Health Assembly’s recent resolution on preventing deafness and hearing loss (WHA70.13). It will also support the member states of the organization on this topic.

The resolution was adopted in view of the very high numbers of people living with disabling hearing loss worldwide: over 460 million people, including 34 million children. These numbers are expected to rise considerably in the coming years, particularly due to increasing exposure to noise in recreational settings and through personal audio devices.

The Forum plans to bring together a broad range of people, with different interests and specializations. The members will include representatives of organizations for people with disabilities, government bodies, non-governmental organizations (including those in official partnership with WHO), development agencies, academic institutions (such as WHO Collaborating Centers), and professional societies, WHO reports.

The organization summed up its vision for the Forum in its press release: “The World Hearing Forum will galvanize action towards a world in which no person experiences hearing loss due to preventable causes, and those with hearing loss can achieve their full potential through early identification and appropriate management of their condition.”

Source: World Health Organization