Millions of people in the developing world live with hearing loss that could be treated with hearing aids. Yet according to estimates by the World Health Organisation, current hearing aid production meets a mere 10% of global need and only 3% of people in developing countries who could benefit from hearing aids actually have them. Audiology services are largely inaccessible in countries where the more basic requirements of health are necessarily prioritised.
Ears Inc. is an Australian not-for-profit association of hearing care professionals dedicated improving the lives of people with untreated hearing loss in the developing world. Founded in 1998, the organisation trains and equips health care workers in developing countries, including Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, the Philippines, Malawi and the Dominican Republic. These health care workers then help rehabilitate the hearing impaired, who are often impoverished and socially isolated, and who would otherwise have no way to overcome their disability.
To support the fantastic work Ears Inc. is doing overseas, Connect Hearing recently made a large donation of hearing aids to go into the field to be distributed by hearing health workers.
These donated hearing aids will help recipients communicate more effectively, allow them to live independently, and will give them a better chance of gaining employment. They will also assist in preventing the social isolation and depression that can unfortunately accompany untreated hearing loss.