March 3, 2026 – World Hearing Day
The World Hearing Day is observed on March 3rd since 2007 with the aim of drawing attention to the protection of ears and hearing, raising public awareness about hearing loss, and supporting an individualized approach to ear and hearing care. The theme for the 2026 campaign is "From home to the school desk: ensuring hearing care for every child" and is guided by the slogan: "Time to act: no child should be left behind due to ear or hearing problems."
This year, the World Health Organization is focusing on the prevention of avoidable hearing loss in children, early detection, and management of ear diseases and hearing impairments in children.
Work with children, parents, and teachers should begin at home and at school. Hearing protection tasks should be integrated into school health programs and pediatric services. This helps children to hear, learn, and succeed.
Why is it important to care for children's hearing?
Lack of diagnosis and care for hearing loss in school-aged children is a common problem worldwide (World Report on Hearing 2021). Approximately 90 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years across all regions of the world suffer from hearing loss. However, hearing loss often goes undetected, especially where resources for its detection are insufficient.
Among children, there is a wide prevalence of preventable and treatable causes of hearing loss, such as otitis media with effusion (OME), chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), and earwax impaction. Sometimes, hearing loss begins subtly but progresses over time and becomes more noticeable.
In the absence of diagnosis and care, not only a child's hearing suffers, but also their speech, language, cognitive development, and socialization, leading to reduced educational achievement and limited employment prospects.
Timely detection and management of ear diseases and hearing loss are crucial for preventing their long-term consequences on a child's development, education, and future prospects.
Systematic screening and prompt corrective measures within school health programs and routine pediatric care contribute to better outcomes for ear diseases and hearing impairments in children.
The observance of World Hearing Day calls for the protection of hearing in future generations for their personal well-being and full participation in society!
Based on materials from the World Health Organization website