Dec 2019 World Health Organisation

The World Hearing Forum is a global network of stakeholders promoting ear and hearing care worldwide. Members of this advocacy network will commit to facilitating implementation of World Health Assembly resolution WHA70.13 on “Prevention of deafness and hearing loss” and supporting Member States in this regard.

Approximately 466 million people live with disabling hearing loss; of these, 34 million are children. In addition, 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to exposure to noise in recreational settings and through personal audio devices. It is expected that these numbers will rise considerably in the coming decades, unless action is taken to prevent and treat hearing loss.

The World Hearing Forum (2018-2025) will fill a critical gap by bringing a collective vision to advocacy and collaboration in this field. Through networking and by sharing knowledge, skills and experiences from the field, the World Hearing Forum will galvanise action towards a world in which no person experiences hearing loss due to preventable causes and those with hearing loss can achieve their full potential through early identification and appropriate.