World Hearing Day is held on March 3 each year by the World Health Organization to raise awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promote ear and hearing care across the world. The theme of World Hearing Day 2018 is Hear the Future. Each year, WHO decides the theme and develops a brochure on the topic based on the best available evidence as well as advocacy materials such as posters, banners, infographics and presentations, among others. These materials are shared with partners in government and civil society around the world as well as WHO colleagues across the Organization. At its headquarters in Geneva, WHO organizes an annual World Hearing Day seminar. In recent years, an increasing number of Member States and other partner agencies have joined World Hearing Day by hosting a range of activities and events in their countries. WHO invites all stakeholders to join this global initiative.
With the theme “Hear the future”, World Hearing Day 2018 will draw attention to the anticipated increase in the number of people with hearing loss around the world in the coming decades. It will focus on preventive strategies to stem the rise and outline steps to ensure access to the necessary rehabilitation services and communication tools and products for people with hearing loss.
To celebrate this important day, Starkey Hearing Foundation hosted a special hearing mission in Zambia where hundreds of people were fit with complimentary hearing aids. Special attendees at the mission included the First Lady of Zambia Her Excellency Esther Lungu and musical group The Tenors.
Her Excellency Esther Lungu spoke to the group gathered in Lusaka, Zambia. “Today is a glimpse of where we want to go as a country,” she said. “I am here to share the gift of hearing and I am pleased to be part of this inaugural celebration. Starkey Hearing Foundation is providing hearing aids and promoting hearing health care, which will help many, many of our people. Healthy hearing leads to a healthy life.”
Starkey Hearing Foundation gives the gift of hearing to people in need in the U.S. and around the world. Disabling hearing loss affects more than 360 million people, including 32 million children, yet many do not have access to the hearing devices that improve lives and promote understanding. Starkey Hearing Foundation focuses on hearing health missions, hearing loss education and hearing aid recycling.
For more information, visit www.starkey.com or visit Starkey's Partner Page on AudiologyOnline.
