If you can’t hear well, you can’t learn well – some take-out points from the Ndiyeva Paediatric Audiology and Intervention Conference

The World Health Organisation has identified hearing loss as an invisible epidemic which is growing at an alarming rate.   7 million children in sub-Saharan Africa are affected by permanent, disabling hearing loss.  In South Africa, 3,7 million adults and children are affected by permanent, disabling hearing loss.  Many of these children have a single sided deafness or minimal hearing loss and 37% of these children will fail at least one grade at school.  This apparently mild and often missed hearing loss will negatively affect behaviour, energy, self esteem and increase stress levels.  It is therefore recommended that children should be tested at least three times during their school careers.