Many of the issues, such as illnesses, disorders, birth defects, noise pollution, and lifestyle choices, may be avoided, according to the first-ever global study on hearing.
By 2050, one in every four people on the planet will have hearing difficulties, according to the World Health Organisation, which is calling for greater investment in prevention and care.
Many of the issues, such as illnesses, disorders, birth defects, noise pollution, and lifestyle choices, may be avoided, according to the first-ever global study on hearing.
The study recommended a package of interventions that would cost $1.33 per person per year, according to the report.
In response, it reported that nearly a trillion dollars were wasted each year as a result of the issue's inability to be properly addressed.
The report noted that "failure to act would be costly in terms of the health and well-being of those affected, as well as the financial losses resulting from their exclusion from contact, education, and jobs."
According to the study, one out of every five people in the world suffers from hearing loss.
The study did warn, however, that "the number of people with hearing loss will increase more than 1.5-fold over the next three decades" to 2.5 billion, up from 1.6 billion in 2019.
It added that 700 million of the 2.5 billion population will have a severe enough illness to need treatment in 2050, up from 430 million in 2019.
The projected increase is primarily due to demographic and population patterns, i.e.
Treatment is difficult to obtain
Lack of access to treatment is a major contributor to hearing disorders, which is particularly evident in low-income countries where there are far fewer clinicians available to treat them.
Since nearly 80% of people with hearing loss live in those countries, the majority do not receive the assistance they need.
According to the study, even in wealthier countries with better services, access to treatment is often unequal.
People are also unable to obtain the treatment they need due to a lack of reliable knowledge and the stigma associated with ear disease and hearing loss.
"Information related to prevention, early detection, and treatment of hearing loss and ear disorders are generally lacking among health-care providers," it said.
The study recommended a package of steps, ranging from noise reduction in public areas to increased vaccinations for diseases that can cause hearing loss, such as meningitis.
It also proposed that people be screened on a regular basis to recognize the issue at crucial points in their lives.
Hearing loss in children could be avoided in 60% of cases, according to the report.
"Our collective inability to properly resolve hearing loss costs us an estimated one trillion dollars per year," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the study.
"While the financial burden is immense, the suffering caused by the lack of contact, schooling, and social engagement that comes with untreated hearing loss cannot be quantified."
(This story was created automatically from a syndicated feed and has not been edited by staff.)
