The following activities have been undertaken by the WHO programme on ear and hearing care with support from the International Society of Audiology.
A. Development of technical and information materials related to the World Hearing Day 2021
On 3 March 2021, WHO led the World Hearing Day. A number of information products were developed including:
B. Launch of the World Report on Hearing
The World report on hearing was launched by the WHO on 3 March 2021 with the following launch events:
In addition, numerous national launches were held, e.g., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zambia and others.
C. Dissemination actions following the launch
D. Launch of companion handbook: “Hearing screening: considerations for implementation”
To facilitate the implementation of the recommendations made in the World report on hearing and to assist Member States in setting up screening programmes for ear and hearing problems, WHO is launching the “Hearing screening: considerations for implementation” handbook. The handbook provides guidance on ear and hearing screening in:
· Newborns and infants
· School children
· Older people
The launch is organized for
15 September 2021. (Details)
Following this, a series of three webinars were organized focusing on the
specific target groups for screening.
E. Ear and hearing care situation analysis
Using the WHO ear and hearing care situation analysis tool, assessments are being undertaken in the following regions:
· South-East Asia region (selected countries)
· Region of the Americas (selected countries)
· African region (region-wide)
· Western-Pacific region (region-wide)
Challenges faced:
Challenge was posed by the ongoing pandemic which has made it essential to undertake all events and activities virtually. Despite this, widespread media coverage was gained, and political interest has been generated through the launch and dissemination of the World report on hearing.
Planned actions:
The World report on hearing envisions a world in which no individual experiences hearing loss due to preventable causes, and those with hearing loss can achieve their full potential through rehabilitation, education and empowerment.
The reports are available as PDF downloads:
Hearing is essential for human development and for the perception of our environment. It is important for spoken communication, learning, socio-emotional functioning and it warns us of potential danger.
Recent studies suggest that more than 5% of the world’s population has disabling hearing impairment (WHO), with the prevalence increasing from 50% to 90% between the age of 60 to 90 years. This places a burden on human health and society.
The impact of hearing impairment
Hearing impairment is a hidden disease that is not visible to others and it often develops gradually from mid-life onwards. To address hearing impairment in a timely manner it is of paramount importance to screen the hearing of babies at birth, of school-age children and thereafter, at regular intervals up to the last decade of life. Over the past decades several cost-effective methods and resources have been developed which should be implemented and shared globally to provide equal opportunities for all.
Irreversible hearing damage by loud noises
Hearing screening should go together with awareness campaigns on the irreversible damage caused by exposure to loud noise and the multitude of preventive actions, such as wearing protective headphones/ear buds and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Persons who are at risk of hearing loss should have their hearing checked regularly.
World Hearing Day 2021 marks the launch of the World Report of Hearing, presenting a global call for action to address hearing loss and ear diseases across the life course. This is highly endorsed by the International Society of Audiology (ISA) that supports global development of Hearing Science and International Hearing Healthcare.
Info Box:
The mission of ISA is to connect professionals in ear and hearing care across the globe.
This year the World Hearing Day is being observed with the theme: Hearing care for all. On this day, WHO will launch the World report on hearing that was requested by the World Health Assembly resolution of 2017.
Please find below important information regarding the launch of the report and the World Hearing Day 2021:
January 2021
The Executive Board of the World Health Organization(WHO) at its 148th session in January 2021 decided to maintain the International Society of Audiology (ISA) in official relations with WHO.
Click here to download the notification
Click here to download the notification from WHO with regards to the list of non-state actors in relations with WHODecember 2020
The General Assembly of the ISA was held via Zoom on the 14 December 2020. The minutes of the meeting are available to the members when logging into the self-serve platform.
Details of the new executive board are available by clicking here
Congratulations to Soul, Korea as the successful bidders of the 2026 WCA.
Congratulations to the WCA Scholarship Awardees
Copyright ISA 2022