Launch of the World Report on Hearing in South Africa

Posted on May 20, 2021

The South African World Hearing Forum members, World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Office in collaboration with the National Department of Health (NDoH), and Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the University of Pretoria's WHO collaborating centre for deafness and hearing loss jointly hosted a webinar on The Launch of the World Report on Hearing (WRH) to discuss, and plan the next steps needed to align with global targets to make Ear and Hearing Care (EHC) accessible to all South Africans.

Prof De Wet Swanepoel, from the University of Pretoria, presented on the World Report on Hearing within the South African context. 12 million South Africans have some form of hearing loss and 3.6 million require treatments of whom less than 10% are receiving any treatment. That is why we must act now!

A recording of this event is available below (starting at UP presentation):

Agenda

11:00-11:05

Opening address – NDoH

Dr. Sandile Buthelezi, Director-General, NDoH

11:05-11:15

Opening address – WHO

Dr. Shelly Chadha, Technical Officer

Prevention of Blindness and Deafness Unit, WHO

11:15-11:25

The WRH – Overview

Dr. Dr. KALUWA, Owen Laws, WHO South AfricaCountry Representative

11:25-11:40

The WRH – South AfricanContext

Prof De Wet Swanepoel, WHO Collaborating

Centre for the Prevention of Deafness and HearingLoss, University of Pretoria

11:40-11:55

A parent perspective

Dr. Bianca Birdsey, Hearing Health Advocate,THRIVE Parent Support

11:55-12:10

Living with a hearing loss

Ms. Sikelelwa Alex Msitshana, Founder andManaging Director Deaf Empowerment Firm

12:10-12:25

Next Steps – Implementationstrategy for South Africa

Ms. Sandhya Singh, Director: Chronic Diseases,Disabilities, and Geriatrics, National Department ofHealth, NDoH

12:25-12:30

Questions and Closing

All

- Author Department of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology

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