This year, World Hearing Day 2024, organised by the World Health Organisation under the theme of “Changing Mindsets” focused on overcoming the challenges posed by society’s misperceptions and the stigma of hearing loss.
Taking this call to heart, the European Association of Hearing Aid Professionals (AEA), European Federation of Hard of Hearing (EFHOH), and European Hearing Instrument Manufacturers Association (EHIMA) co-organised a Virtual Lunch Debate, titled “World Hearing Day 2024 – Changing Mindsets” and held in partnership with the European Parliament, on March 5, 2024. A number of experts in hearing health and care discussed the challenges in hearing aid adoption and the significant untapped potential for better hearing care in Europe. The event presented an opportunity to discuss the reality of an issue that affects over 57 million people across Europe.
The event was hosted by Jarosław Duda, Member of the European Parliament’s committee on employment and social affairs from Poland. He underlined the challenge at hand: That partial or complete hearing loss can affect people of all ages but given demographic changes, he told the Parliament that this number is expected to significantly increase. “Therefore, we are dealing with a huge scale of problems that deaf and hard of hearing people struggle with every day.”
Despite recommendations in 2021 from the WHO to offer systematic hearing screening and ensure quick access to hearing therapies and devices, European countries still lag far behind in implementing these recommendations, MEP Duda noted.
“We need to address misperceptions, improve knowledge and mitigate stigma”
Speaking further on the WHO World Hearing Day theme was Dr Shelly Chadha, head of hearing and ear protection at the WHO. She explained that someone with hearing loss can face multiple barriers when it comes to how they are perceived and treated by others, and when it comes to receiving the best intervention and care. Misperceptions and unawareness, stigma, and a lack of knowledge among healthcare professionals all contribute to unmet levels of hearing care globally. “Less than 20% of those who need these services will benefit,” said Dr Chadha.
Prevention is key, whether it is immunisation, better identification of infections and other ear problems, or reducing noise pollution and engaging in safe listening practices. For those who will develop hearing loss, there are superb rehabilitative therapies, hearing aids and implants, and assistive technologies, as well as medication and surgery. To ensure people who need these will benefit, “we need to address misperceptions, improve knowledge and mitigate stigma,” Dr Chadha concluded.
“Access to health is a human right”
Changing mindsets will be essential to ensuring inclusive health systems, explained Dr Emma Smith, Assistive Technology Specialist at the WHO Regional Office for Europe. While it is a human right, there are significant difficulties in accessing healthcare across the region, not least for the one in five people with a hearing issue. Compounding this are difficulties in accessing health information and poor levels of health literacy.
Developing truly inclusive health systems will require mindset shifts when it comes to representation, health laws and policies, and capacity building within the healthcare workforce. Policy development to support this requires meaningful representation from the deaf and hearing loss communities to ensure their voices are heard, concluded Dr Smith.
“See me, not my hearing aids”
“Why we need to change mindsets” was the title of the presentation delivered by Lidia Best of the EFHOH. Those with hearing loss are not one-size-fits-all, she said. “The policies and systems put in place do not reflect our diversity.”
Similarly, disability assessments do not reflect the real life of people with hearing loss, she said. “See me, not my hearing aids.” While implants and hearing aids provide access to communication and reduce isolation, they do not reduce the need for reasonable accommodations in society. She also urged Member states to look at their reimbursement models for hearing devices, noting long waits, lack of choice and low reimbursement levels. “Often, the reimbursement policy does not match the real need.”
“Hearing loss is an invisible disability”
The realities of hearing loss and hearing care were outlined by Mark Laureyns of the AEA. He debunked some of the more common myths, such as the fact that despite popular belief, hearing loss is not a typical part of getting older, or that people should wait until they notice a problem before going for a hearing test. A proactive approach to hearing health is essential, he said, and could lead to a better quality of life.
Unfortunately, stigma remains high when it comes to hearing loss, and people with hearing aids can often be dismissed and perceived as “unintelligent”. Self-stigma among those with hearing loss is also high. “Hearing loss is an invisible disability and audiologists are invisible health professionals,” Laureyns concluded.
“Hearing is our social glue”
“Changing the Mindsets on Hearing Care” was the title of Prof. Stefan Launer of EHIMA. Thanks to technology, the functionality of hearing devices has improved dramatically in recent years, meaning those with hearing loss now have much more choice. These devices are now “intelligent microsystems”, he explained, capable of carrying out sound scene analysis, motion sensing and use artificial intelligence to ensure the best user experience possible.
One of the biggest myths about hearing devices is that they simply languish in a drawer – this is no longer true, Launer explained. Data shows that usage patterns have changed significantly, he said. “Modern hearing instruments are worn for a great part of the day, more than 11 hours. This average wearing time has significantly increased over the last two decades. This speaks to the performance and the benefit people get from using these devices.”
This is further backed up by the EuroTrak data which shows high levels of satisfaction from users in a wide variety of situations. Hearing devices are also related to a significant boost in quality of life. “They increase their sense of safety, improve their relationships and social life – it’s a much broader benefit than just hearing improvement. Hearing is our social glue.”
The event served to bring many of the everyday realities of living with hearing loss to the fore and reinforced the World Hearing Day theme of changing mindsets, tackling misperceptions and raising awareness when it comes to hearing loss and hearing interventions.
The Lunch Debate for World Hearing Day 2024 can be viewed in full here.
