To hear for life, listen with care! 

The focus for world hearing day 2022 is on the importance and means of hearing loss prevention through safe listening.  As in 2021, WHO released a world report on hearing that highlighted the increasing number of individuals that are living with and at risk of hearing loss. It emphasized noise control being one of the seven key H.E.A.R.I.N.G. interventions and highlighted the importance of preventing noise exposure to loud sounds. Leading to this year’s theme. To hear for life, listen with care! 

With WHO focusing it’s attention on the following key messages for WHD 2022: 

• It is possible to have good hearing across the life course through ear and hearing care.
• Many common causes of hearing loss can be prevented, including hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sounds.
• ‘Safe listening’ can mitigate the risk of hearing loss associated with recreational sound exposure.
• WHO calls upon governments, industry partners, and civil society to raise awareness for and implement evidence-based standards that promote safe listening.

Check out some of WHO’s relevant available materials and resources: 

• www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day/2022
• Making listening safe (who.int)
• Toolkit for safe listening devices and systems (who.int)
• Safe listening devices and systems: a WHO-ITU standard
• Consultation on Make Listening Safe Initiative 2020 (who.int)

Did you know: 

• Due to unsafe recreational listening over 1 billion people are at risk of Hearing loss.
• 80% of people surveyed expressed concern that children’s hearing is being damaged due to the misuse of personal audio technology.
• Long or repeated exposure to sounds 85 dB can cause hearing loss.
• Noise-induced hearing loss is the second most prevalent cause of hearing loss in the UK.

WHD Events: 

• WHD virtual lunch debate: 3rd March, 2022, 11:30  – 13:30  https://www.linkedin.com/events/virtuallunchdebateattheeuropean6894748214600552448/
• World Hearing Day: Webinar Safe hearing for European workforce 3rd March 2022 (09:30-11:30 Brussels time):   https://www.eu-esf.org/workshop-2
• World Hearing Day 2022 Launch Webinar: 2nd March 2022, 13:30-14:30 https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2022/03/02/default-calendar/world-hearing-day-2022-information-webinar

World Hearing Day Blogs: 

Jay 

We support the World Health Organization’s World Hearing Day, on March 3rd. World Hearing Day promotes ear and hearing care across the world and raises awareness of how to prevent deafness and hearing loss. For a number of years now, this global event has tried to make ‘better hearing’ an agenda item in WHO member states and partner agencies. This has immensely increased the profile of hearing care across the world. The audiology community across the world organized a range of activities and events to support the initiative. It is not uncommon to listen to a speech regarding hearing care on this day, in many important parliaments in the world. My plans to invite my own local MP for a hearing assessment on this day were hampered by snow a few years back, then the pandemic and now the global crisis relating to a certain ongoing military invasion. I am most hopeful that I and many of our readers will perhaps take time to organize a hearing care event in their local communities in coming years and invite the who’s who for the maximum penetration and mainstreaming of the ‘better hearing’ agenda.

My colleagues below offer further insight on this year’s world’s hearing day

Isabel 

I believe that World Hearing Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness and increase support by standing together, celebrating our successes, and pushing for more positive change. From a student’s perspective witnessing our sector be so vocal, helping to ensure this day is as informative as possible and generating a wave of support is incredibly inspiring. With this year’s theme being ‘To hear for life, listen with care’ particularly hitting home, with all our current amazing technology having the power to do such incredible things but also have a lasting impact on our hearing is an important reminder for everyone. The importance of preserving our hearing is often overlooked, so let’s do something about it and help spread awareness This World Hearing Day.

Nova: 

The 2021 World report on hearing it highlighted that noise control is one of the seven key H.E.A.R.I.N.G. interventions and stressed the importance of mitigating exposure to loud sounds. As a student, one of my passions is creative art and Audiological Science! And if both were combined to illustrate the importance of exposure to loud sounds and how noise control works it would be an eye-catching educating concept. Below are some of my favorite posters by Samsung in 2016, showing a unique visual interpretation of how noise cancellation blocks out noise.