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10/08/2015  |   9:00 AM - 12:00 PM   |  SAC 1011

Pre-Conference Session
Introduction to Public Health Planning for Hearing Impairment

Over 360 million people in the world have disabling hearing loss and 80% live in low and middle income (LMI) countries. Despite this massive problem, hearing loss is generally forgotten and neglected in these countries, and there are few trained personnel and a lack of infrastructure and programs to address it. We believe that the only way to make a difference is to set up population-scale interventions using public health methods. However most health professionals are trained only to evaluate and manage the health needs of the person in front of them, and do not realize the public health approach can be used against hearing loss. The presenters currently run 5-day courses which aim to develop an expanding cadre of people in LMI countries with the skills to set up public-health interventions and programmes for prevention and rehabilitation of hearing loss. So far over 400 people have been trained from 40 countries. This session will act as an introduction to the course by outlining key principles of public health needed to address hearing loss, and key actions needed for planning programmes on a large scale where there are scarce resources.

  • Describe the epidemiology of ear disease and hearing loss in the world, focusing on low and middle income countries.
  • Appraise the role of public health approaches to manage ear and hearing health
  • Discuss the key challenges and barriers within health systems to plan and deliver ear and hearing care services , with reference to low and middle income countries

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Andrew Smith (Co-Presenter), 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 -

Daksha Patel (Co-Presenter), 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 -