World Hearing Day is a

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

held each year by Office of Prevention of Blindness and Deafness of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

(WHO). Activities take place across the globe and an event is hosted at the World Health Organization on March 3. The campaign's objectives are to share information and promote actions towards the prevention of

hearing loss Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken ...

and improved hearing care. The first event was held in 2007. Before 2016 it was known as International Ear Care Day. Each year, the WHO selects a theme, develops educational materials, and makes these freely available in several languages. It also coordinates and reports on events around the globe.

2022

The theme of
World Hearing Day 2022
was “''To hear for life, listen with care.''” Key messages and information focus on the importance and means of preventing hearing loss from recreational sounds through

safe listening Safe listening is a framework for health promotion actions to ensure that sound-related recreational activities (such as concerts, nightclubs, and listening to music, broadcasts, or podcasts) do not pose a risk to hearing. While research shows ...

. During World Hearing Day 2022 these resources were launched: *
Global standard for safe listening entertainment venues and events
detailing safe listening features. The features can be implemented by governments, venue and event owners, and event staff such as audio engineers. * a
''mSafeListening'' handbook
on how to create an mHealth safe listening program. * and a medi
toolkit for journalists containing key information and how to talk about safe listening

2021

The theme of the campaign for 2021 was "''Hearing Care for All.''" The launch of th
World Report on Hearing (WRH)
took place on March 3, 2021 during an event at the World Health Organization in Geneva. It was a global call for action to address hearing loss and ear diseases across the life cours

The WRH was developed to provide guidance for WHO Member States to integrate ear and hearing care into their national health plan per the World Health Assembly resolutio
WHA70.13
adopted in 2017. The report includes epidemiological and financial data on hearing loss; outlines available cost-effective solutions and sets the way forward through integrated people-centered ear and hearing care. The global launch of the report was followed by regional launches involving the participation of ministries of health and other participants from several Member States. The report's reach is global but includes a special focus on low- and middle-income countries, where the number of people with hearing loss is not matched by the availability of services and resources.

2020

The theme of the campaign for 2020 was "''Hearing for Life. Don't let hearing loss limit you''". The selection of the theme by the World Health Organization expresses the key message that timely and effective interventions can ensure that people with

are able to achieve their full potential. It recognizes that, at all life stages, communication and good hearing health connect us to each other, our communities, and the world. It highlights that appropriate and timely interventions can facilitate access to education, employment and communication. Unfortunately, across the globe, ear and hearing care are insufficient, and the WHO argues that all public health systems should include ear and hearing care. One of the products that came out from the 2020 campaign was a WHO Report for Basic Ear and Hearing Car

Previous years

2019: The theme of the campaign for 2019 was "''Check your hearing''" as data from both developed and developing countries indicate that a significant part of the burden associated with hearing loss comes from unaddressed hearing difficulties. A study conducted in the United Kingdom indicate that only 20% of those who have a hearing problem seek treatment. A study performed in South Africa reported that individuals who experience hearing difficulties wait between 5 and 16 years to seek diagnosis and treatment. Two hundred and ninety one events/activities from 81 countries were registered, and will be described in their annual report. For the celebration, on February 25, 2019 WHO launche
hearWHO
a free application for mobile devices which allows people to check their hearing regularly and intervene early in case of hearing loss. The app is targeted at those who are at risk of hearing loss or who already experience some of the symptoms related to hearing loss. metawiki:Wiki4WorldHearingDay2019, Wiki4WorldHearingDay2019, an

edit-a-thon An edit-a-thon (sometimes written editathon) is an event where some editors of online communities such as Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap (also as a "mapathon"), and LocalWiki edit and improve a specific topic or type of content. The events typically ...

, was part of the 2019 activities of the campaign, to facilitate the contribution of hearing-related content into Wikipedia in several languages. Activities were reported in a Wikimedia dashboard and summarized a few publications. In addition, a Meet-up took place with presentations by researchers from HEAR in Cincinnati, from the

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH, ) is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the C ...

, the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and National Center for Environmental Health, of the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

, by the Wikipedian-in-Residence from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Wikipedia Consultant for Cochrane. 2018: The theme of World Hearing Day 2018 was "''Hear the future''" to highlight the estimates of an increase in the number of people with hearing loss around the world in the coming decades. 2017: The theme of World Hearing Day 2017 was “''Action for hearing loss: make a sound investment''”, which focused on the economic impact of hearing loss. 2016: The theme of World Hearing Day 2016 was “''Childhood hearing loss: act now, here is how''!” which provided information on public health measures that could prevent significant percentage of cases of hearing loss in children. 2015: The theme for World Hearing Day was “''Make Listening Safe''”, which drew attention to the rising problem of

noise-induced hearing loss Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a hearing impairment resulting from exposure to loud sound. People may have a loss of perception of a narrow range of frequencies or impaired perception of sound including sensitivity to sound or ringing i ...

due to recreational exposure.

References

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External links