“Over 1.5 billion people currently experience some degree of hearing loss, which could grow to 2.5 billion by 2050. In addition, 1.1 billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing loss from listening to music at loud volumes over prolonged periods of time. (…) About 1 billion people around the world are at risk of avoidable hearing loss. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 400 million, including 34 million children, live with disabling hearing loss, affecting their health and quality of life.
Over 1.5 billion people currently experience some degree of hearing loss.
Unaddressed hearing loss is the third largest cause of years lived with disability globally. It affects people of all ages, as well as families and economies. An estimated US$ 1 trillion is lost each year due to our collective failure to adequately address hearing loss.”*
(* World report on hearing. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.)
Hearing loss distorts people’s ability to communicate and therefore to connect with their family, friends and coworkers. It can result in social exclusion, miscommunication, cognitive health issues and lower productivity.
