446 Million People Worldwide Have Hearing Problems
Support A1+!March 3 is marked as International Ear Care Day, which aims to raise the awareness of hearing loss and prevention of deafness, as well as hearing protection and ear health.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 5% of the population or 466 million people (432 million adults and 34 million children) have hearing problems.
Ministry of health reports, that 60% of hearing loss in children under the age of 15 is due to preventable causes, such as:
Infectious: measles, rubella, mumps, meningitis, cytomegalovirus infection, chronic otitis media (31%)
Birth asphyxia, low birth weight, jaundice, birth difficulties (17%)
Use of ototoxic drugs (harmful effects on hearing function) among pregnant and breast-feeding children (4%)
Other (8%).
Preventive measures include: immunization of children against measles, rubella, mumps, meningitis, reproductive age girls and women with rubella vaccination before pregnancy, maintenance of appropriate ear care, reduction of high-noise alertness, middle ear otitis screening and other management, new born screening and etc.
Early detection and implementation of appropriate measures are the main factors that reduce the impact of hearing loss on the development and progress of the child. With the early detection of the problem, providing with a hearing aid or performing surgery until the child's speech development, it’ll be possible to ensure the child's speech development and afterwards the social adaptation.
Since 2008 newborn hearing screening has been carried out in Armenia, and since 2018 it has been carried out thought the country. 32569 newborn were examined last year, 24 of whom had hearing problems. Nine children underwent ear augmentation surgery, and 15 were provided with a hearing aid.
Nowadays a working group under the order of the Minister of Health is developing a National Program on Ear and Hearing Care for 2021-2025.
