The burden of hearing loss in Africa could rise to 54 million by 2030 if urgent measures are not taken to address the problem, a new World Health Organization (WHO) report warns. The Status Report on ear and hearing care in Africa says hearing loss has a profound impact on human lives and economies, costing African economies 27 billion US dollars annually. The continent has 40 million people with hearing loss, a prevalence of 3.
6 percent, per the UN health agency’s data. “Without urgent interventions,” the report says “hearing loss which disproportionately affects poor and vulnerable populations will continue to escalate.” For children, the far-reaching consequences include delays in language development, raising the risk of poor educational outcomes and limited future career prospects.
Adults with untreated hearing loss often face isolation, loneliness and an increased risk for depression and dementia. The report identifies multiple factors driving the surge in prevalence of hearing loss in the continent. Primary among these is an acute shortage of ear and hearing care (EHC) specialists, as well as maldistribution of available workforce to the advantage of urban areas.
More than 56% of African countries, for example, have only a single ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist for every million people. More than three-quarters of countries, meanwhile, have fewer than one audiologist and one speech and language therapist for every one million people. The report also fin.