World Hearing Loss Day is observed annually to raise awareness on preventing deafness and hearing loss, while also promoting ear/hearing care worldwide.
The 2026 theme is “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children,” focusing on preventing childhood hearing loss through early identification.
Hearing Loss Day is every year on March 3, partly because the shape of the numbers 3 and 3 resemble the human ears. The goal of this day is to encourage regular check ups, safe listening and reducing stigma surrounding hearing aids.
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This year’s theme focuses on two pressing issues; preventing avoidable childhood hearing loss and ensuring early identification of and care for children with ear or hearing problems.
According to World Health Organisation (WHO), globally, school-age children with hearing loss often remain undiagnosed and without access to needed services. Hearing loss affects around 90 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 years, across all parts of the world. However, it commonly remains undetected, especially in low-resource settings.
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Here are tips to protect hearing, according to Western Cape Government and University of Pretoria:
- Keep volume levels below 60% on personal audio devices.
- Use earplugs or take breaks in noisy environments.
- Seek medical advice if you notice symptoms.
- Follow safe listening practices to avoid hearing loss. The old adage that prevention is better than cure is even more true in the case of hearing loss, since there is no cure. The most common form of hearing loss – sensorineural – is due to permanent damage to the delicate hearing organ and cannot be reversed.
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