WHO: 1 in 4 people may have hearing problems by 2050

One in four people will have hearing problems by 2050, the WHO has issued warning calling for more investments for prevention and treatment.

The first world report of hearing history states, that many causes of hearing problems - infections, diseases, birth defects, noise exposure, and lifestyle choice - can be prevented:

The report also offers a package of measures that will cost $ 1.33 per person per year. Moreover, experts estimate that about a trillion dollars are lost each year because the problem is not adequately solved. The report states, that every 5th person in the world has a hearing problem. During the next three decades, the number may rise more than 1,5 times to 2,5 billion people, compared to 1,6 billion in 2019. Of that 2,5 billion, 700 million will have a serious illness requiring treatment by 2050, compared to 430 million in 2019.

The main cause of the hearing problems is the absence of health care accessibility, which is really vivid in law-income countries, where are fewer specialists for the treatment. As almost 80% of people with hearing loss live in such countries, most of them do not receive the necessary aid. The report says that even in wealthier countries with better conditions, medical care is often disproportionate. The absence of exact information absence and the ear diseases and hearing loss stigma don't let people get the necessary aid.

The report says that "even among health-care providers, there’s often a shortage of knowledge about prevention, early identification, and management of hearing loss and ear diseases, hampering their ability to provide the care required."

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