Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening The term safe listening simply refers to specific listening behaviours that do not put your hearing at risk The volume of sounds, the duration of listening, and frequency of exposure to loud sounds all have an impact on hearing The higher the level of sound and longer the duration, the greater the risk of hearing loss
Deafness and hearing loss - World Health Organization (WHO) Major causes of hearing loss include congenital or early onset childhood hearing loss, chronic middle ear infections, noise-induced hearing loss, age-related hearing loss, and ototoxic drugs that damage the inner ear The impacts of hearing loss are broad and can be profound
World report on hearing - World Health Organization (WHO) The World report on Hearing aims to provide evidence-based guidance to drive actions for integration of quality EHC services into national health plans of Member States, as part of their work towards universal health coverage
World Report on Hearing World Report on Hearing The World Report on Hearing (WRH) has been developed in response to the World Health Assembly resolution (WHA70 13), adopted in 2017 as a means of providing guidance for Member States to integrate ear and hearing care into their national health plans
World Hearing Day 2026 - World Health Organization (WHO) World Hearing Day 2026 (3 March) From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children Act now so no child is left behind due to ear or hearing problems Why focus on children’s hearing? Globally, school-age children with hearing loss often remain undiagnosed and without access to needed services (World report on hearing, 2021)
WHO highlights the importance of addressing childhood hearing loss On World Hearing Day, under the theme From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children, WHO is urging governments, civil society, and partners across the health and education sectors to take urgent action to protect children’s hearing Key actions include:promoting good ear and hearing practices as part of school health programmes to prevent hearing loss; integrating ear and
Ear and hearing care - World Health Organization (WHO) Prevention of hearing loss and deafness is essential throughout the life course – from prenatal and perinatal periods to older age In children, nearly 60% of hearing loss is due to avoidable causes that can be prevented through implementation of public health measures, such as vaccination and maternal and neonatal care
Deafness and hearing loss - World Health Organization (WHO) A person is said to have hearing loss if they are not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearing, meaning hearing thresholds of 20 dB or better in both ears It can be mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe or profound, and can affect one or both ears
Deafness - World Health Organization (WHO) Many causes of hearing loss can be prevented through public health measures Through rehabilitation, education and empowerment, people with hearing loss can reach their full potential Raising awareness and improving access to services at the primary level can help to reduce the prevalence and adverse impact of hearing loss