03/03/2026
๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐ 2026
Why focus on childrenโs hearing?
Globally, school-age children with hearing loss often remain undiagnosed and without access to needed services (World report on hearing, 2021).
Common, preventable and treatable causes of hearing lossโsuch as otitis media with effusion (OME), chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), and impacted ear waxโremain widely prevalent in children. At time, hearing loss begins insidiously but progresses and worsens over time.
Left unaddressed, this not only affects a childโs ability to hear but significantly impacts speech, language, cognitive and social development, commonly leading to poorer educational outcomes, reduced employment prospects and long-term economic disadvantages.
This year, WHD highlights the theme "From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children."
The campaign focuses on two imperatives:
Preventing avoidable childhood hearing loss
Ensuring early identification of and care for children with ear or hearing problems
Communities and classrooms are natural entry points to reach children, parents, and teachers. By integrating hearing care into school health and child health programmes, we can help children hear, learn, and succeed.
