“Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!”
World Hearing Day is an annual global event that aims to raise awareness about the importance of hearing health and the prevention of deafness. This year, the theme is “Changing mindsets: Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 80% of ear and hearing care needs around the world remain unmet. Unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual cost of nearly US$1 trillion globally. Hearing loss can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. It can have a negative impact on education, employment, communication, and social participation.
One of the major barriers to accessing ear and hearing care is the lack of awareness and the stigma associated with hearing loss. Many people with hearing loss face discrimination, isolation, and low self-esteem. They may also encounter misconceptions and myths about their condition, such as that hearing loss is a sign of old age, that hearing aids are expensive and ineffective, or that nothing can be done to help them.
These misperceptions and stigmatizing mindsets need to change. We need to create a culture of acceptance and inclusion for people with hearing loss. We need to provide accurate and evidence-based information to the public and the health care providers about the causes, prevention, and treatment of hearing loss. Avoid self-medication, inserting objects blunt or sharp into your ears. Avoid cleaning your ears the wrong ways e.g. using Hydrogen peroxide.
We need to advocate for the rights and needs of people with hearing loss and ensure that they have access to quality and affordable ear and hearing care services. That is why, on this World Hearing Day, I urge you to join me in changing mindsets and making ear and hearing care a reality for all. Let us spread the word about the importance of hearing health and the benefits of early detection and intervention. Let us support the efforts of the WHO and its partners to develop and implement national and global policies and programs on ear and hearing care. Let us celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with hearing loss and their families.
Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can make ear and hearing care a reality for all!
Prof John A.O. Okeniyi,
Chief Medical Director,
OAUTHC, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
