Hearing loss is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease and affects more than 360 million people. For most, early detection is inaccessible, which precludes timely treatment. Resulting sequelae include educational failure, unemployment, poverty, social isolation, depression and a threefold increased risk of dementia. Recent technological advances and the ubiquity of connectivity are opening new frontiers for innovative solutions that can decentralise access to hearing health. Prof Swanepoel's pioneering work in mobile health – using smartphone and cloudbased technologies – are translating into applied solutions with significant social impact across communities in South Africa and abroad.

 

Prof Swanepoel holds a bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree from the University of Pretoria. A professor in the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology in the Faculty of Humanities, he also holds adjunct positions at the University of Western Australia and the University of Texas, and is a senior research fellow at the Ear Science Institute Australia.