WWHearing
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© CBM
A boy in a hearing booth at a CBM partner in Kenya
In 2003 CBM joined with the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch WWHearing (World-Wide Hearing Care for Developing Countries) with the aim of promoting the provision of affordable hearing aids and appropriate services.
What is WWHearing?
WWHearing is a global partnership to promote the provision of affordable hearing aids and appropriate services. Its founding organisations include governments, NGOs, users and manufacturers of hearing aids, professionals, donors, academic centres and international bodies.
The need
Providing affordable hearing aids on a world-wide scale is the most cost-effective way to reduce the impact of hearing loss. It is estimated that 35 million hearing aids are needed annually in low income countries. Only about one million are actually available at present (about three in 100).
Creation of WWHearing
Based on this limited availability of affordable hearing aids, in 2003 CBM joined with the World Health Organization (WHO) to launch WWHearing (World-Wide Hearing Care for Developing Countries).
WWHearing aims to
- Encourage appropriate, affordable hearing aids and services
- Develop and publish 'Guidelines in Hearing Aids and Services for Developing Countries'
- Gather information on provision and need in developing countries
- Stimulate public-private partnerships (PPPs) in affected countries
- Promote projects for fitting, follow-up, repair and training
- Undertake studies to evaluate models for hearing aid service delivery in countries such as India and China
