| Azlan Othman |
THE Ministry of Health (MoH) will celebrate World Hearing Day 2018 on March 4, 2018 during the Bandarku Ceria at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien in the capital.
During a media briefing, Pengiran Dr Hajah Norsuhazenah binti Pengiran Haji Suhaili, an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital Specialist Clinic, said the event will be officiated by Minister of Health Dato Paduka Dr Haji Mohd Isham bin Jaafar.
This year’s event is different compared to previous editions as the event committee will be inviting several government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in ear care nationwide to use the event as a platform to share the services they provide with the public.
Explaining on hearing loss, Pengiran Dr Hajah Norsuhazenah said: “Individuals with hearing loss mean those who don’t have the ability to listen normally, or are able to hear only partially or totally cannot hear directly.
“This issue or problem not only affects the elderly but even adults of our age, children and even newborns.
“Try to imagine what this means to children, let alone the baby. It will have a major impact on the development, speech and language development of the children,” she added, emphasising the need for this hearing ability 24 hours a day, without which will impact heavily on our communication and our social interaction.
“There are many causes of hearing problems, and from existing knowledge, it is caused by heredity, other problems, and can also be caused by infection, and many other reasons. This can be prevented with certain steps.”
Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that more than 300 million people in the world are experiencing hearing loss, out of which 32 million are children.
The WHO recommends observing World Hearing Day to enhance public awareness of hearing loss not only at the state level but also globally. Only through this awareness will we be able to devise effective preventive measures for hearing impairment.
We as a society can also gradually get acquainted with hearing loss by approaching any issues related to the problem by identifying the source of the problem and providing treatment support, as well as change our perceptions of and attitudes toward the affliction slowly if proper work to understand the problem is put in.
Brunei Darussalam is celebrating World Hearing Day for the third time along with other countries.
This year’s World Hearing Day celebration is themed ‘Hear The Future, Prepare For it’. The theme channels focus on the broad picture of looking at measures or strategies to prevent hearing loss and treat those with the affliction and give them access to rehabilitation and the required hearing aid or material.
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