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10/09/2015  |   9:45 AM - 11:00 AM   |  Andrew Foster Auditorium

APPLYING PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF HEARING LOSS.

Over 5% of the world’s population have disabling hearing loss and 80% live in low and middle income countries. The number is increasing rapidly particularly due to aging and population growth. Hearing loss causes an extensive range of problems in: language acquisition, school progress, obtaining, holding and performing an occupation and social life. The resulting effects lead to isolation, stigmatization, mental health issues, and substantial economic costs to individuals and society. The response required to strengthen ear and hearing health systems, are faced with lack of human resources and inadequate infrastructure. National and global response requires building on prevention and early management if hearing impairment and its effects are to be averted. Clinicians are trained to think in terms of a one-to-one approach for provision of hearing health care. Application of public health strategies, which identify and prioritise interventions on a massive scale against whole populations are required to make a significant difference to the burden of avoidable hearing loss. Additionally, prioritised strategies have to be equitable and affordable within the targeted community. We focus on practical experiences and challenges, from the public health courses in hearing Impairment, that identify the key changes that need to be addressed within health systems to address the growing challenge of hearing Impairment globally.

  • Assessment of Public health strategies for hearing Impairment
  • Identify the challenges within ear and hearing health systems
  • identifying experiences and challenges from training programmes in public health for hearing Impairment.

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Daksha Patel (POC,Primary Presenter,Author), London school of hygiene and tropical medicine, Daksha.patel@lshtm.ac.uk;
Dr Daksha Patel is an Ophthalmologist by training and has worked in a range of clinical settings in East Africa. She joined LSHTM in 2002 as the Course Director for MSc in Public health for eye care. This unique course, is focused on addressing avoidable blindness in low and middle income settings. She remained as the Course Director till 2013 and has since taken on the role of E-learning Director for the Disability group at LSHTM, and is developing Open educational resources and Massive open Online courses (MOOCs) in eye care. Daksha has a keen interest in health science education and public health. Since 2009, she has also been involved in co-course director for developing training for Public health planning for Hearing Impairment, which is directed to address and develop strategies for the prevention of hearing loss. Over 400 audiologists and ENT Surgeons have participated in this training across 5 training centres globally. The courses are designed to support the development of public health strategies at National and district level for hearing impairment. Daksha has also been involved in advocating with the Commonwealth Secretariat on hearing Impairment as a priority health agenda.

      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial - No relevant financial relationship exist.

Nonfinancial - No relevant nonfinancial relationship exist.


      AAA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Andrew Smith (Co-Author), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, andrew.smith@lshtm.ac.uk;
I am an Honorary Professor at the International Centre on Evidence for Disability at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine since 2008. My interest is studying, promoting and teaching public health approaches to prevention and rehabilitation of hearing loss in low and middle income countries, and in disadvantaged communities in high-income countries. Since 2009, I and a colleague have developed and run 5-day courses on Public Health Planning for Hearing Impairment. Up till now, we have trained 946 health workers from 43 countries in 26 courses at 12 centres mainly in low and middle income countries.
      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -


      AAA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Joanna Anderson (Author,Co-Author), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, joanna.anderson@lshtm.ac.uk;
I am the administrator for Ear and Hearing Health activities at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. I manage a programme of short courses in Public Health Planning for Hearing Impairment in various locations world wide. I manage the online discussion group for PHPHI course alumni 'Discussions in Ears and Public Health' and am Editorial Assistant for the Community Ear and Hearing Health Journal.
      ASHA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -

Nonfinancial -


      AAA DISCLOSURE:

Financial -