In 2023, World Hearing Day will highlight the importance of integrating ear and hearing care within primary care as an essential component of universal health coverage.

Key messages

The key messages of World Hearing Day 2023 are:

• Ear and hearing problems are among the most common problems encountered in the community.
• Over 60% of these can be identified and addressed at the primary level of care.
• Integration of ear and hearing care into primary care services is possible through training and capacity building at this level.
• Such integration will benefit people and help countries move towards the goal of universal health coverage.

Training manual

On World Hearing Day 2023, the WHO will launch a new training manual: “Primary ear and hearing care training manual for health workers and general practitioners”. The manual will be accompanied by a trainer’s handbook and other community resources.

Events around the world

The WHO encourage partners and stakeholders to organise events to advocate integrating ear and hearing care within primary care so as to raise awareness in communities about the importance of ear and hearing care and encourage them to seek services.

Several events around the world will be held on the occasion of “World Hearing Day”.

The first event was held in 2007. Before 2016, World Hearing Day was known as International Ear Care Day.

For more information about World Hearing Day see https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day/2023 and https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day

Sources: www.who.int and www.wikipedia.org