N2b to fight hearing loss in Kwara, Kaduna, others

Date: 2017-06-13

It may not have the same prominence as eye disorders but ear patients know how much their condition hurts. A sufferer once narrated how he could neither eat nor sleep nor concentrate until the specialists put him out of his torture. Ear ailments are also not a one-off. They are quite widespread. That is why a United States-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Starkey Foundation, wants to tackle it in five states of the federation. The states are Kwara, Kaduna, Lagos, Abia and Ogun states. The free healthcare outreach will cost about N2 billion.

The programme is aimed at increasing access to hearing services. The free healthcare services are billed to take place in Ogun from June 16-20, Lagos (21- 23), Abia (7 July), Kaduna July 9 and Kwara (July 11). The foundation will also provide service and maintain hearing aids given to people living with hearing impairment at no cost.

In a statement, Director of Global Health and Research for the Foundation, Dr. Luqman Lawal said that the foundation will carry out the medical outreach in partnership with the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation, federal ministry of health, state governments, the academia and professionals in the field of ear and hearing care in Nigeria and NGO.

The foundation said further that Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation would be responsible for the coordination of the logistics of the programme in Nigeria through partnerships with the federal ministry of health, state governments and local stakeholders within the country.

Dr. Lawal noted that the World Health Organisation estimates that about 360 million people live with disabling hearing loss worldwide with 32 million of them being children and approximately 90% of people living with hearing loss reside in low resource settings with little to no access to ear and Hearing healthcare services.

He said that a recent national survey of hearing impairment and deafness in Nigeria shows that approximately 8.5 million (five per cent) Nigerians have some form of hearing impairment.

He said in the first year of the partnership; the Foundation will be serving approximately 3000 patients with the hope of increasing the number of patients served to about 15,000 or 20,000 annually, based on the success of the first year.

He said "In low and middle-income countries, hearing aids have only 2.5 percent penetration rate (i.e. only 1 in 40 people that require hearing aids have access to and can afford it). It has also been estimated that 50 per cent of hearing loss is preventable through simple and effective public health approaches".

These impacts of hearing loss are not only on individuals but also on family members, communities and countries," he said.

Dr. Lawal said due to the wide access gap that disproportionately affects the low and middle- income countries and the consequent impacts, The Starkey Hearing Foundation was founded in 1984 by Mr. Bill Austin in the United Sates to address hearing challenges.

He explained that the foundation has created and now operates community-based hearing healthcare programs in 52 low and middle-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Pacific Asia and the Middle East.

Source

 


Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

General Hospital, Ilorin     Raliat Islamic Foundation     Manzuma     Abdulrazak Shehu Akorede     Abdulrasheed Lafia     A.E. Afolabi     Hajj     Ahmed Mohammed Rifun     Aliyu Muhammad Saifudeen     Moji Makanjuola     Oloriegbe     Oloyede     Mufutau Olatinwo     Segun Olawoyin     Government High School (GHS), Adeta     Abdulrazaq Adebayo     Yomi Ogunsola     Olumide Daniel Ibitoye     FOMWAN     Muslimah Entrepreneurship Forum     Olufolake Abdulrazaq     MMWG     Mohammed Yisa     Sa\'adu Salahu     Afonja     Ayinke Saka     KWATMA     Pakata     Jalala     Olaitan Adefila     Clement Yomi Adeboye     Lawal Arinola Kudirat     Rapheal Ashaolu     Atunwa     Olupako     Onilorin Of Ilorin     Aliyu Adebayo     Yusuf Amuda Gobir     Aliyu Olatunji Ajanaku     Kwara State Polytechnic     Harafat E. Mukadam     Alliance For Democracy     Prince Bola Ajibola     Muslim Media Watch Group Of Nigeria     NNPP     Hassan Taiye Salam     Abdulmajeed Abdullahi     Cornelius Adebayo     Ejidongari     UNIFEMGA     Oluranti Idowu     Kwha.gov.ng     March 28     Baboko     Arca Santa     Is\'haq Modibbo Kawu     Oye Tinuoye     Amina El-Imam     Bola Tinubu     Oke-Kura     Www.Kwarareports.com     Ilorin Water Reticulation     Ayo Opadokun     Oyelere Oyinloye     Tafida     Paul Olawoore     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Katibi Ibraheem Adeola     Ahmed     Sunday Otokiti     Sabi     Adolescent Girls Initiative For Learning And Empowerment     Oba Sulaiman Asude     Labour Party     Zulu Gambari     KW-GIS     Ishaq Salman    

Cloud Tag: What's trending

Click on a word/phrase to read more about it.

Tunji Moronfoye     Kwara State Branch Of The National Library     Amos Bajeh     Eruku     KSIRS     Jebba     Abdulkareem Alabi     Yekeen Alabi     Gobirawa     Mohammed Lawal     Frootify     Kolawole Bashirat     Haruna Olawale Sulaiman     Hassan A. Saliu     Umar Sanda Yusuf     CCT     Bola Olukoju     Suleiman Mora Omar     Sidikat Akaje     ARMTI     Bibire Ajape     Tope Daramola     AbdulRauf Keji     Plat Technologies     Gani Saadu     Savannah Centre For Diplomacy, Democracy And Development     Abdullahi Atanda     Igosun     Shuaib Abdulkadir     Samuel Adaramola     Special Agro-Industrial Hub     Kpotum Mohammed Baba     Kehinde Boyede     SUBEB     Chikanda     Abubakar Imam     Yusuf Ibitokun Sherifat     Mansur Alfanla     Sobi FM     A.E. Afolabi     Voices Of Tomorrow     Ajase-Ipo     Bola Magaji     Ashiru     KFA     Tanke Flyover Bridge     Bamikole Omishore     Alimi     Kwara State Printing And Publishing Corporation     Kolo     Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi     Elerin Of Adanla Irese     CT Ayeni     Rashidi Yekini     Ibrahim Abikan     Bluenile Associates     Monkey Pox     Olusola Saraki     Amos Justus Sayo     Moro     Funmi Salau     Rachael Obisesan     Just Law Forum     Modibbo Kawu     Mufutau Gbadamosi Esuwoye     Saidu Kawu     Olomu Of Omu-Aran     Principal Private Secretary     Mahmud Babatunde Baker     Lotus Bank     Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia     Zaratu Umar     Bolakale Saka     Kwara Liberation Group     Mansurat Amuda-Kannike     Valsolar-Kwara Company Limited     Marafan Shonga