Bringing ear care and hearing services to the hardest to reach: the potential of primary healthcare workers

Abstract

Bringing ear and hearing care services closer to the community remains a key component of reducing the burden of ear and hearing conditions across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet, despite the majority of disabling hearing loss occurring in LMICs, there remains a shortage of trained health professionals to recognise, treat and prevent hearing loss [1]. In a 2013 report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was revealed that 64% of participating countries from the African region had fewer than one ENT surgical specialist available per million people [2]. In contrast, all 12 high-income countries included in the survey had more than one ENT specialist available per million people. Similarly, 88% of high-income countries reported availability of more than one audiologist per million populations, compared with only 5% in low-income countries