Audiologists, Otologists call for national policy on treating the deaf
Sep 27, 2017
A hearing aid, which is the cheapest, costs between sh2.5m to sh6m. The cochlear implant is used by those who are completely deaf and it requires surgery costing over sh100m.
HEALTH | ENT
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists have called on the Government to provide funding for surgery for the deaf.
Dr. Micheal Awubwa, a lecturer at Makerere University, noted that if the Government funded surgeries for the deaf, people from poor families would be able to get the services.
According to a World Health Organisation (WHO) report 2016, about 330 million people suffer with chronic ear infections or discharging ears worldwide, where 32 million are children.
It further indicates that about five of every 1,000 children are born deaf or hard to hear worldwide, with about 50% cases in Sub-Sahara Africa, where Uganda falls.
According to Awubwa, young people between 12 to 35 years are also at risk of suffering hearing loss, due to exposure to noise in recreation settings like headsets, headphones, and clubs.
He added that about 60% hearing loss among children can be prevented and can be healed if treatment is sought early.
PIC: A little girl shows off her hearing aid. (Credit: Abbey Ramadhan)