WHO outlines ways of preventing and mitigating childhood hearing loss

The WHO report points out that 360 million people, 5% of the world’s population, live with hearing loss that is considered disabling. Nearly 10% of these are children mainly living in low- and middle-income countries. The report estimates that 40% of cases are associated with genetic causes, 31% with infections such as measles, mumps, rubella and meningitis, and 17% with complications at birth. An additional 4% are related to the use of ototoxic medication in expecting mothers and newborns.

However, the organization believes that around 60% of childhood hearing loss could be avoided through prevention measures. Ear infections can be prevented through immunization and good hygiene practices, improved maternal and child health practices help to prevent perinatal complications, and ototoxic drugs can potentially be avoided.

The report includes case studies from Cambodia, Canada, Thailand, Uganda, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and the United States, showing how various initiatives are helping to improve the situation. “A child who struggles to hear may also struggle to learn to speak, underachieve at school, and end up socially isolated,” says Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention. “But this doesn’t have to happen. We have a range of tools to help prevent, detect and treat childhood hearing loss.”

Source: World Health Organization