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Geneva: Nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide or 1 in 4 people will be living with some degree of hearing loss by 2050, warns the World Health Organization's (WHO) first World Report on Hearing, released today. At least 700 million of these people will require access to ear and hearing care and other rehabilitation services unless action is taken.
In children, almost 60% of hearing loss can be prevented through measures such as immunization for prevention of rubella and meningitis, improved maternal and neonatal care, and screening for, and early management of, otitis media - inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. In adults, noise control, safe listening and surveillance of ototoxic medicines together with good ear hygiene can help maintain good hearing and reduce the potential for hearing loss.
"The point is we know how to prevent this, or at least a lot of it," WHO expert Shelly Chadha said.
"Our ability to hear is precious. Untreated hearing loss can have a devastating impact on people's ability to communicate, to study and to earn a living. It can also impact on people's mental health and their ability to sustain relationships," WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
The WHO estimates that 1.1 billion young people, between the ages of 12 and 35, are at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to noise in entertainment venues. (QNA)
