The World Health Organisation (WHO) observes World Hearing Day on 3 March every year. A combined team of lecturers and students from UP’s Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology gave free hearing screenings and awareness workshops to young children and adults living in Atteridgeville.
The 2024 theme for World Hearing Day was “Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!” This theme sought to amplify the vitality of altering societal perceptions and attitudes towards ear and hearing care. According to WHO, over 80% of ear and hearing care needs are not met, and unaddressed hearing loss poses a staggering annual cost of nearly R19 trillion. Deeply ingrained societal misconceptions and stigmatising mindsets are significant barriers to efforts aimed at preventing and addressing hearing loss, as well as changing attitudes towards ear and hearing care. Overcoming these barriers is crucial for improving access to care and reducing the costs associated with unaddressed hearing loss in communities.
By 2050, it is anticipated that 2.5 billion people will have some form of hearing loss. Hearing loss is an invisible epidemic that affects millions of lives due to the lack of accessible and affordable ear care.
The Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology is dedicated to uplifting marginalised communities and improving universal access to ear and hearing care. According to an IOL article by UP Audiology Professor De Wet Swanepoel, “through the integration of smart, innovative digital technologies, [the department is] redefining service delivery models”. In the article, Prof. Swanepoel explains, “These technologies enable community health workers in low-income settings to perform essential screenings and clinical assessments.” This also helps community members gain access to essential medical equipment such as hearing aids.
The Atteridgeville mission was a joint effort that was anchored by the hearX Foundation and the Clinton Health Access Initiative. Their joint collaborative effort expressed their dedication to serving community-based ear and hearing care. Furthermore, the Atteridgeville mission served as a precedent for universally affordable hearing care models, highlighting the urgency and vitality of ear and hearing care in Atteridgeville and many other similar communities all over South Africa.
In his IOL article, Prof. Swanepoel writes, “By addressing this service gap, we are not only improving individual lives but are also making a significant economic impact, reducing the global burden of unaddressed hearing loss.”
Ivainashe Nyamutsamba
Originally posted on the PDBY website: Hearing loss, silent epidemic
