World Report on Hearing
2021
This report from the World Health Organization (WHO) seeks to promote ear and hearing care, serving the Sustainable Development Goal agenda as well as the global population regardless of age, nationality, or hearing status. According to the report, more than 1.5 billion individuals globally have experienced some decline in hearing over their life course. Nearly one-third of these individuals will require care. Hearing loss has far-reaching consequences, developmentally for the individual and fiscally for society. Loss of hearing adversely affects language development, psycho-social wellbeing, quality of life, educational attainment, and economic independence at varying stages of life. Further, the WHO estimates that hearing loss leads to a global cost of nearly $1 trillion annually and threatens the global goals of ending poverty and ensuring all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
The WHO underscores how the integration of highly effective interventions can reduce the impact of hearing loss. The report draws attention to these existing solutions to prevent and rehabilitate hearing loss; documents scientific evidence and country experiences on ways to integrate people-centered ear and hearing care services; establishes hearing loss as a public health priority; and makes recommendations to stimulate action for improved access to hearing care.
Source:
World Report on Hearing. World Health Organization 2021. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/339913.