WHO: Nearly one in four worldwide will have some hearing loss by 2050
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WHO’s inaugural World Report on Hearing estimates that about one in four people — or about 2.5 billion — worldwide will have some type of hearing loss by 2050.
The report, issued in conjunction with World Hearing Day on March 3, indicates that most of those impacted by WHO’s 2050 projections live in the agency’s Western Pacific region, followed by the Southeast Asian, African, American, European and Eastern Mediterranean regions.
“Untreated hearing loss can have a devastating impact on people’s ability to communicate, to study and to earn a living,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, MSc, said in a press release. “It can also impact on people’s mental health and their ability to sustain relationships.”
Many people with ear conditions and hearing loss struggle to access health care services, according to WHO. For these patients, WHO said the “most glaring gap” in health care access is the lack of qualified health care professionals. The agency reported that for each 1 million residents of low-income countries, 78% have fewer than one ear, nose and throat specialist and 93% have fewer than one audiologist. Even in countries with a high proportion of health care professionals in ear and hearing care, there is inequitable access to them.
WHO’s report also indicated that 60% of hearing loss in youth could be prevented with early childhood immunizations, improvements in maternal and neonatal care as well as proper screening and management of otitis media. Other initiatives that can help reduce the burden of hearing loss include:
- incorporating “people-centered” ear and hearing care in universal health coverage;
- strengthening health systems to provide “integrated people-centered ear and hearing care” at all levels;
- overseeing and participating in awareness campaigns that discuss ear diseases and hearing loss attitudes and stigma;
- ascertaining goals towards hearing loss elimination, recording national trends and assessing progress in these goals; and
- encouraging high-quality public health research on ear and hearing care.
The report estimated that governments can expect a return of nearly 16 international dollars for every 1 dollar invested in efforts to reduce hearing loss.
“The World Report on Hearing is the culmination of extensive collaboration of WHO with experts and stakeholders to develop the most up-to-date and highest quality evidence related to ear and hearing care in all settings concerned with hearing and hearing loss,” Linda J. Hood, PhD, a professor in the department of hearing and speech sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a contributor to the WHO report, told Healio Primary Care.
She added that hundreds of activities throughout the world are taking place March 3 to “raise awareness and promote ear and hearing care.”
References:
WHO. Full report. World Report on Hearing. Accessed February 25, 2021.
WHO. Press release. Launch of the World Report on Hearing. https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/03/03/default-calendar/launch-of-the-world-report-on-hearing. Accessed February 25, 2021.
Perspective
Back to TopMichael M. McKee, MD, MPH & Philip Zazove, MD
This report by WHO comes out the same week as new data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging based here at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation indicate 80% of Americans aged 50 years and older say their primary care physician hasn’t asked about their hearing in the past 2 years and 77% haven’t had their hearing checked by a professional in that same time.
Hearing is an important topic and should be a high priority among PCPs and those who are educating the PCPs of the future. The ramifications when PCPs do not screen for hearing loss are potentially huge. Untreated hearing loss is associated with a higher risk for dementia, depression and significantly greater risk for hospitalization among other adverse sequelae. Lack of adequate screening for hearing in older populations can also cause these patients to take prescriptions inappropriately, incorrectly follow postoperative procedures and treatment guidelines, lose jobs and perhaps even medical benefits if they do not hear questions pertaining to maintaining these with correctly.
We know many health care professionals have limited time with their patients. However, studies conducted here at the University of Michigan have shown by incorporating just one question — “Do you think you have a hearing loss ” — into electronic health records of patients aged 55 years and older increased audiologist referrals at two health systems from 2.2% to 10.7%. Other data published elsewhere show hearing screenings done shortly after a child’s birth through the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Program and again when children enter schools help identify many young children with hearing loss and set these children on the path for interventions. However, screenings for hearing loss in other age groups, unless the patient reports symptoms of hearing loss, is not recommended due to their lower yield.
Perspective
Back to Top
One of the most important take-home messages from the WHO report for PCPs is that hearing protection has been shown to be effective, but only works if you use it. Another important message is that most hearing loss is preventable. It is also worth noting that according to the report, recreational types of hearing loss is on the rise, while occupational hearing loss is on the decline.
For many older patients, hearing loss is insidious and develops slowly over time. Consequently, many of these patients do not realize something is wrong with their hearing until they report difficulties understanding conversations in a crowded environment. Therefore, all patients aged 65 years and older should have a baseline hearing test so that when a patient starts expressing concern, there is data available for comparative purposes.
Otolaryngologist, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
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