The Role of the Health System in the Prevention of Hearing Loss Among Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

Around 1.2 million children living in Sub-Saharan Africa have a hearing impairment (HI) or hearing loss (HL). Limited attention and scarce resources dedicated to this condition means that such children often receive no management for their problem. This has substantial negative effects on their development, and ultimately results in poverty. Half of the number of cases of HI in such countries results from preventable causes. Formulation of effective prevention strategies to address the causes requires an understanding of the factors that lead to the causes of HI in Sub-Saharan Africa. A number of preventable causes were shown to significantly contribute to the prevalence of HI. The most significant causes include perinatal problems, middle ear problems, infective diseases, and ototoxic drugs. These causes persist because there are few effective prevention strategies in place, and those which exist are poorly implemented. There is little public and health care worker awareness about HL and its prevention. Few resources are allocated to the prevention of HL, meaning that these issues are not addressed. Evidence have shown that current failings in the prevention of HI from such causes include widespread limited resources, inadequate staff training, and absent or ineffectual prevention guidelines. The burden of HL has been shown to be significantly reduced through effective prevention strategies, both in the developed and developing world, justifying the need for increased attention and more resources in Sub-Saharan Africa.