Namibia winning battle against hearing loss

While the rest of the world struggles to contain a prevalence of hearing loss, Namibia has minimal problems in that regard, health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said recently.An estimated 135 million people have ear and hearing problems, and experts suggest these numbers are rising.It is estimated that by 2050, there could be over 338 million people affected by ear and hearing issues in Africa.Access inequalityThis is according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, who spoke on the occasion of World Hearing Day, which is commemorated in March every year.According to Moeti, significant inequalities disproportionately impact marginalised populations, with nearly 80% living in low- and middle-income countries, and while over 60% of ear diseases and hearing loss can be detected and managed at the primary care level, there are limited specialised centres and clinics."Many people with hearing loss do not know how and where to find help or do not have access to the needed services. This greatly impacts the lives of those affected, their families, and their communities,” Moeti said.“Moreover, the excessive burden of these conditions is also due to the limited number of ear, nose and throat specialists and audiologists available in these countries. In the African Region, nearly US$ 30 billion is lost due to the collective failure to address hearing loss adequately," she added.Namibian perspectiveShangula, however, said in Namibia, the problem is not as serious as access to primary health care such as clinics is widely available.He added that what helps with early detection is that parents are very observant and will also visit a clinic to complain if they pick up what they believe is an abnormality."That is why you will see many small children already wearing glasses or sent to the audiologists to check out their hearing ability. We have these services in the public sector, but when we need to, we also refer patients to private professionals," he said.jemima@namibiansun.com

Namibia winning battle against hearing loss

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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Namibia winning battle against hearing loss

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-13

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