03 March 2018

NCHA responds - World Hearing Day 2018

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for action on 3 March, World Hearing Day.

The NCHA has responded to the calls to action by publishing a position statement, setting out why and how it will champion innovation in hearing care that helps improve access for millions of people with hearing and communication difficulties in the UK.

The WHO is encouraging individuals, organisations and countries to ‘Hear the Future’ and to:

• take action now – by allocating resources for hearing care, training hearing care professionals, ensuring access to hearing technologies and communication services, and regulating sound exposure
• prevent hearing loss – by protecting ears from loud sounds, getting professional advice about pain or other signs of infection, and raising awareness about ototoxic medicines
• reduce the impact of hearing loss – by having regular hearing checks, using hearing devices as indicated, and demanding captioning and sign language services.

The WHO has published an infographic which signposts the international community to England’s Action Plan on Hearing Loss as a good example of what can be done to reduce the impact of hearing loss. The infographic also sets out what health professionals, civil society and policy-makers can do at a local level to make a difference.