Health Reporter
Zimbabwe is facing a growing burden of disabling hearing loss, with a prevalence rate of 6%, one of the highest in the Southern African Region. This is according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which projects that 54 million people in Africa will have disabling hearing loss by 2030, and 97 million by 2050.
Dr. Matsidiso Moeti, WHO African Region Director, emphasizes that hearing loss is a “silent but growing condition” that needs urgent attention. “In the African Region alone, approximately 40 million people live with hearing loss, reflecting a prevalence of 3.6%. The implications of this extend beyond individual experience to affect communities, economies, and society at large.”
Key Factors Contributing to the Growing Burden:
- Shortage of specialists: Over 56% of African countries have only one ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist for every million people.
- Lack of access to hearing aids: Only 10% of the 33 million Africans who could benefit from hearing aids have access due to limited financing and high costs.
- Limited integration of EHC services: EHC interventions are not integrated into priority health programs, such as school health and occupational health.
Recommendations:
- Countries should prioritize policies focused on EHC and related activities.
- EHC services should be integrated into existing programs to optimize resource use.
- Public-private partnerships should be explored to strengthen EHC services.
In Zimbabwe, the prevalence of hearing impairment in children is significant, with 2.4% of primary school children identified as having a hearing threshold of greater than 30 dB in at least one ear. The country’s high prevalence rate is attributed to preventable causes such as infections and common ear diseases.
To address this issue, the WHO Regional Office for Africa has embarked on a comprehensive situational analysis using the WHO Ear and Hearing Care Situation Analysis Tool (EHCSAT).
The organization urges countries to leverage the report to galvanize action at the highest level and advocate for policies focused on EHC and related activities.
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