Hearing Health: A Major Concern for the 21st Century

Abstract

The results of the most recent studies on Global Burden of Disease (GBD) indicate a growing and, now, alarming burden of hearing loss. Researches involved in hearing loss are being targeted to provide detailed information that decision-makers need to position hearing loss among health care priorities; to present best practices for hearing health care; to indicate the many additional conditions of change for hearing healthcare around the world; and to offer recommendations to first stop the burden of hearing loss growth and then to reduce it. One of the key drivers of economic vitality is an educated and healthy workforce. In addition, the proportions of jobs that depend on spoken communication or on high literacy, or on both, are high, and are growing rapidly worldwide.