The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia reports that March 3 is World Hearing Day.
"Every person should take steps to preserve their hearing and that of those around them. The slogan of the year is "Change the stereotypes, make ear and hearing health and care a priority."
The advice of the day is to raise awareness about the importance of hearing care by changing behavior:
- protect hearing from loud noise,
- prevent hearing loss,
- regularly check to hear,
- use hearing aids, if necessary.
- support people with hearing problems.
1 in every 1,000 newborns in the world is born deaf, and 2 in every 1,000 develop hearing loss in the first two years of life.
Timely medical care is essential for a child with hearing loss's mental, psychoemotional, and speech development.
In Armenia, newborn hearing screening is carried out within the framework of a state order, which aims to detect children with suspected hearing impairment early.
In cases of grade IV hearing loss and deafness, a cochlear implant is an effective means of restoring hearing. This procedure requires surgical intervention and a long and laborious postoperative rehabilitation.
The Ministry of Health has undertaken an obligation to compensate for the surgery's cost and the 1-year postoperative course. From 2020 to 2024, 106 children underwent cochlear implant surgery within the framework of a state order.