Public Health: Five NGOs tackle hearing deficiency in children

Hearing care professionals are screening children between 0-2 years for hearing loss. The 5-day campaign has been organised in Yaounde by five NGOs working in partnership with the Chantal Biya Foundation.

The NGOs have organised the dignoses and healing process as follows;

# ‘SAVE ME’ and ‘ Audition Pour Tous’ do the screening exercise

# ‘Bendo’ and ‘SGS’ donated the screening machines
# ‘ Oticon’  is involved with the treatment

The screening device,  Son’Or was invented by Dr. Ing Ngounou Guy Merlin.

Many of the over 50 children screened this 3rd December 2018 for hearing loss, at the launch of the campaign, tested positive .

Health Professionals exhort parents to seek early treatment for hearing problems.

Dr Kewe Isabelle states;

” We have realise that many parents seek treatment for their children after 6 years. This is very late. At this age treatment becomes difficult.
Hearing loss is especially harmful to children after two years; they risk being deaf for the rest of their lives”

Health Experts consider difficulty in understanding conversations or verbal communication as a first symptom of hearing
loss.

Causes of Hearing Loss

One of the many cases identified are congenital malformations while other causes of hearing loss have been attributed to;
# head trauma
# Deformities in the ear canal
# malfunctioning eardrums
# persistent middle ear infections
# Medications

Treatment Methods

During the ongoing campaign, children tested positive for hearing loss will have the dignoses confirmed after one month.

Depending on the severity of the case, the patient will be placed on one or two of the following treatment options.

# Hearing aids
# Assistive Listening Devices
# Cochlear implants.

Kathy Neba Sina

 

 

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