Public Health Impact of Hearing Impairment and Disability

Abstract

This presentation of the public health impact of hearing impairment highlights the important elements of interaction between the disability and community. Objectives: Retrospective study to identify the size of the problem of hearing loss, illustrating not only the magnitude but also the serious effect of the lack of reliable data concerning this matter. It highlights the challenges met within a mid-economy community regarding the handling of the impact of the disability. The Egyptian data is given as an example of the situation in a mid-economy community. Study Design: A brief introduction of some epidemiological factors of hearing impairment is presented including the size of the problem in Egypt. Data of the neonatal hearing screening program of the Audiology Unit, Ain Shams University, is presented. The impact of the disability is then discussed in relation to the age of onset and the degree and type of hearing loss. This is followed by the description of the nature and effect of the disability in the different age groups. A discussion of the various factors that may modify the capability of the community to deal with such disability follows. This includes various economic indices with their possible limitations on the part of the community. Such a briefing illustrates the challenges met in the rehabilitation of the deaf and the hearing-impaired in a developing mid-economy country. The broad lines of the management of the problem both at the prophylactic as well as the rehabilitative levels are discussed. A final remark on recommendations and possible future development in a developing country is presented.

The global burden of disabling hearing impairment: a call to action

“…[1][2][3] If it develops in the young, such impairment impedes speech and language development and sets the affected children on a trajectory of limited educational and vocational attainment. [4][5][6] Children with hearing impairment may also be at increased risk of physical, social, emotional and sexual abuse and even murder.…”

Estimated prevalence of hearing loss and provision of hearing services in Pacific Island nations

“…6,7 In adults, the inability to communicate, along with other factors such as the stigma of disability, can result in social isolation, inability to gain or maintain employment, dependency, and poverty. 8 These effects are compounded in developing economies, where access to early detection and rehabilitation services is limited, and the stigma associated with hearing loss may be greater. 9 Hearing loss also represents a significant cost to society.…”

Societal impact of bilirubin-induced hearing impairment in resource-limited nations

“…The societal costs of providing these services are likely to be overwhelming in already beleaguered educational and public health systems in LMICs [72].…”