Coordinated by the WHO, the World Hearing Day- 2023 (3 March) is being observed with the theme ' Ear and hearing care for all!’ urging the world community to realise the theme.
This year, the observance is meant to ‘highlight the importance of integrating ear and hearing care within primary care, as an essential component of universal health coverage’.
“Ear and hearing problems are among the most common problems encountered in the community. Over 60% of these can be identified and addressed at the primary level of care. Integration of ear and hearing care into primary care services is possible through training and capacity building at this level. Such integration will benefit people and help countries move towards the goal of universal health coverage.
To mark the occasion, WHO has decided to launch the ‘Primary ear and hearing care training manual’ accompanied with trainer’s handbook and other community resources to mitigate the hearing problems.
According a leaflet circulated in Jaipur, it has been observed that in India about 6.3 per cent population has hearing impairment and among every 1000 new born, about 3 have hearing impairment.
Hearing impairment is among the school going children is rising due to excessive use of mobile phones, headphones and loud music, said the owner of a speech and hearing clinic in Jaipur.
“The problem in rural areas is acute due neglect of primary ear and hearing care practices and there was a need for the school teachers and social workers to integrate the ear and hearing care into school health programme and community outreach activities,” said Rama Sharma of Chasku-based NGO Bhavi Nirman Society who was earlier involved with a eye care programme.
WHO has called upon the schools to become health promoting institution and inclusive schools and stated, "A health promoting school is one that constantly strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working."
According to WHO [1], a health promoting school has the following features.
· Fosters health and learning with all the measures at its disposal.
· Engages health and education officials, teachers, teachers' unions, students, parents, health providers and community leaders in efforts to make the school a healthy place.
· Strives to provide a healthy environment, school health education, and school health services along with school/community projects and outreach, health promotion programmes for staff, nutrition and food safety programmes, opportunities for physical education and recreation, and programmes for counselling, social support and mental health promotion.
· Implements policies and practices that respect an individual's wellbeing and dignity, provide multiple opportunities for success, and acknowledge good efforts and intentions as well as personal achievements.
· Strives to improve the health of school personnel, families and community members as well as pupils; and works with community leaders to help them understand how the community contributes to, or undermines, health and education.
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