In a world where sound connects us, where laughter, music, and conversation weave the fabric of our daily lives, hearing loss remains a silent epidemic, often overlooked yet profoundly impactful.
Globally, an estimated 466 million people, representing 6.1% of the world's population, live with disabling hearing loss, a number projected to surge to 630 million by 2030 and over 900 million by 2050.
This growing crisis disproportionately impacts children in low- and middle-income regions, including Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Asia-Pacific, where access to hearing care is often limited or non-existent.
On March 3, 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) marked World Hearing Day under the theme "Changing mindsets: Let's make ear and hearing care a reality for all." This year's campaign sought to dismantle societal misperceptions and stigma surrounding hearing loss while advocating for the integration of ear and hearing care into primary healthcare systems as a cornerstone of universal health coverage.
