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  • Title: Preventing deafness in Africa's children.
    Author: Smith A, Hatcher J.
    Journal: Afr Health; 1992 Nov; 15(1):33-5. PubMed ID: 12285914.
    Abstract:
    Researchers have conducted few population-based studies on the prevalence of deafness or hearing impairment in sub-Saharan Africa. The few studies that do exist focus on children attending schools for the deaf or special clinics, but they do not uncover the mild and moderate cases of hearing impairment, those who face the stigma of deafness or hearing loss, or those who cannot afford to go to special schools or clinics. A recent study of 2-10 year old children in all villages of 8 districts of Gambia reveals a 2.7/1000 prevalence of severe to profound hearing loss. All these children also have significant speech problems and require special education programs. Meningitis caused hearing impairment in 31% of cases. 33/1000 5-14 year old children in Swaziland suffer from mild hearing impairment and 10/1000 suffer from moderate to more severe hearing loss. Extrapolation of these figures results in 3.9 million children in Africa with mild hearing loss and 1.2 million with moderate to severe hearing loss. The most common cause of hearing impairment in Swaziland and in Botswana is otitis media, particularly chronic otitis media. Indeed, chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) follows foreign bodies and impacted wax as the 2nd most prevalent cause of hearing impairment in Africa. Despite the significance of CSOM, parents, school teachers, schools and primary health care programs neglect it. Researchers in Kenya are currently comparing different ways (ear swabbing, antibiotics, or topical steroids) to prevent CSOM. The results of this study should reveal a key means for primary prevention of hearing loss in Africa. Other primary prevention means include immunization against meningitis, measles, and rubella; improved prenatal care; improved awareness of danger of ototoxic drugs; better nutrition; and control of noise levels. Secondary prevention basically involves hearing aids, but often there are not enough trained audiologists to identify hearing loss, and hearing aids cost too much.
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