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Toolkit for safe listening devices and systems

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNION (ITU)
2019

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This toolkit provides practical guidance to support Member States, industry partners and civil society groups in the use and implementation of the WHO-ITU H.870 Global standard on safe listening devices and systems. The WHO-ITU Global standard is the result of a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and has been developed in response to the growing prevalence of hearing loss and the threat to hearing posed by unsafe listening. The WHO-ITU Global standard has been developed using an evidence-based and consultative process, with the participation of experts in the field of sound, audiology, acoustics, communication, and smartphone technology

Deafness and hearing loss

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
March 2018

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A short factsheet about deafness and hearing loss covering key facts, causes (congenital and acquired), impact (functional, social and economic), prevention, identification and management and WHO response. 

Addressing the rising prevalence of hearing loss

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
February 2018

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Hearing loss is the fourth highest cause of disability globally, with an estimated annual cost of over 750 billion dollars. These facts are well known and have contributed to growing global consciousness on the need for accessible hearing care in all regions of the world. Looking forward however, the demand for hearing care is likely to grow significantly in coming decades. This report highlights the potential escalation of hearing loss to the middle of the century, and focusses on the factors responsible for hearing loss and the means to address them. 

WHO estimates in 2008 found that 360 million people worldwide live with disabling hearing loss, including 32 million children and 180 million older adults. The most recent estimations place this figure at over 466 million people with disabling hearing loss in 2018. The main areas of the world affected by disabling hearing loss are the South Asian, Asia Pacific and Sub-Saharan African regions, with a prevalence rate almost four times that of the high income regions.

 

Measures to address these concerns deal with: prevention of infections in mothers and babies; chronic ear infections; noise exposure; and ototoxic hearing loss.

 

Public health aspects are highlighted. 

The HELP guide for community based rehabilitation workers : a training manual

LOVEDAY, Marion
2006

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This is a training manual for community based rehabilitation workers based upon physiotherapist's work on a rehabilitation project in Cape Town, South Africa. The manual is aimed at trainers of rehabilitation workers who are assumed to have adequate medical knowledge. The manual is divided into the following 4 main topics: health in the community; normal body functions; conditions and treatment; management of patients. Each section contains a summary of the learning aims for the rehabilitation workers, and the teaching is based mainly on a question and answer format
Note: originally published in 1990 by SACLA Health Project

Deafness : a guide for parents, teachers and community workers

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO)
2000

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This guide provides basic information on the identification of deafness, importance of sign language and the need of education for deaf children. The guide accompanies the video 'Deafness'. This material is most appropriate for the African context

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