Overview of hearing loss and the burden.

Among the five senses, people depend on hearing to provide the primary cues for conducting the basic activities of daily life. Hearing is defining elements of the quality of life. Hearing may be diminished or lost because of heredity, aging, injury, or disease. Deafness and hearing impairment may occur gradually, over the course of a lifetime, or traumatically in an instant. Conditions of hearing loss that are linked with chronic and disabling diseases pose additional challenges for patients and their families.

Globally 10% percent of population are struggling with hearing loss, 2/3 of them are in developing countries. Prevention of hearing loss or their resulting disabling conditions through the development of improved disease prevention, detection, treatment methods and more effective rehabilitative strategies must remain a priority.

 

The current situation in China.

In China, an estimated 200 millions people suffer from hearing loss. More than 30% of elderly/seniors above 65 years of age are suffering from hearing loss. Furthermore, an estimated 800,000 children under 7 years old with profound hearing loss resulting in severe disability. Each year 30,000 new born babies are born with profound hearing loss.