Publications

Newsletter 10a

This page describes the SCHOOL HEARING SCREENING PROGRAMME.

SCHOOL HEARING SCREENING PROGRAMME:

An image showing the School Screening in Progress in India and another image in Indonesia.

The children of Primary school going age group are the ones who are most predisposed to developing various ear diseases such as Otitis Media and Cerumen impaction, that can lead to mild to moderate and sometimes severe hearing loss. Most of these ear diseases are preventable to a great extent. As and when they occur, they can be treated, either medically or surgically. What is required is a method by which these children can be detected at an early stage and treated suitably.

The Recommendations for School Screening chalk out the principle requirements for conduct of a successful programme. These include:

1. Screening of every child in the primary section (4-10 years of age)
2. Ear examination through otoscopy
3. Hearing test through screening audiometry/hand held audio-screener/any other validated screening device
4. Impedance Audiometry with a hand held screener
5. Provision of simple services such as ear drops, wax removal etc
6. Referral of identified students to identified centres where linkages have been established.
7. Awareness creation as part of the programme, through posters, handouts, flipcharts, talks etc

For more details, please log onto www.soundhearing2030.org

COMBINED EYE-EAR & HEARING CARE SERVICES:

WHO SEA report on status of ear & hearing care states that 'the fact that deafness is increasing rapidly indicates that perhaps actions so far have been inadequate to reduce the pace at which it is increasing.' On the other hand, initiatives such as Vision 2020 have led to the development of eye care programmes in most parts of the world. Even in developing countries such as India, eye care programmes have been well established for over the last couple of decades.

Principle:

It is proposed that wherever the eye care infrastructure is well developed, primary ear & hearing care services can be initiated within the same infrastructure. This will help to minimise potential expenses and prevent duplication of effort.

An image showing Vision centre serving as Eye-Ear & Hearing Care centre in a slum area of New Delhi, India

Strategies:

1. To identify suitable centres for integration of eye care services with ear care services.
2. To train the Vision worker/CBR worker in carrying out ear and hearing care work.
3. Develop suitable formats for recording of cases, referral and follow up
4. Provide Otoscope and tuning forks (Audiometer and Tympanometer, if possible) as well as suitable questionnaires at the centre.
5. Establish linkages with the referral centre.
6. To use suitable awareness materials: posters, handouts etc for awareness creation within the community served.
7. Publicise the ear & hearing care services at the centre.
8. Carry out community based camps with awareness creation and motivate persons to avail ear & hearing care services.
9. Carry out OPD activities at the centre

This concept has already been field tested in India and is currently also being field tested in Nepal.