| Wani Roslan |
THE Ministry of Health (MoH) through the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (RIPAS) Hospital organised a number of activities during Bandarku Ceria at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien yesterday to commemorate World Hearing Day 2019.
Guest of honour Minister of Transport and Infocommunications as the Acting Minister of Health Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib bin Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Setia Dato Paduka Haji Mohd Yusof officiated the World Hearing Day 2019 event.
Permanent Secretary at the MoH Haji Abdul Manap bin Othman and senior officials of the ministry were present.
The event began with the recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah followed by a welcoming address from the Acting Minister of Health.
Dato Seri Setia Awang Abdul Mutalib highlighted the role World Hearing Day, celebrated on every March 3, plays in enhancing public awareness on measures to prevent hearing loss and promote ear care.
“In the world of technology and (in light of) the growing use of earphones and other audio tools, World Health Organization (WHO) has partnered with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for Toolkit for Safe Listening Devices and Systems to prepare standards (in safe listening). This illustrates a close collaboration in the preparation of early steps to address hearing loss caused by excessive exposure to noise,” he said.
The Acting Minister of Health added that WHO has launched its hearWHO app, a free application for mobile devices that allows users to check their hearing regularly, enabling them to intervene at the first signs of hearing loss.
“With the theme of this year’s celebrations, I believe the key message is everyone should check their hearing from time to time, especially those at high risk of hearing impairments such as senior citizens, individuals working in noisy environments, or those who listen to prolonged loud music, as well as those with ear problems such as repeated ear infections or chronic ear infections,” he continued.
The main activity during the commemorative event was the 1.5km ‘March for Hearing’ walk in the capital, where participants wore ear plugs while walking to simulate the difficulties faced by individuals suffering from hearing loss and to make them appreciate having normal hearing.
Other activities included the ‘Hearing Obstacle Challenge’ games, an exhibition set up by various agencies and a lucky draw open to the public.