March 3rd is World Hearing Day. Previously known as International Ear Care Day, World Hearing Day is annual day dedicated to promoting awareness of ear and hearing care around the world.
This year’s theme for World Hearing Day is “Childhood hearing loss: Act now, here is how!” The goal of this year’s initiative is to draw attention to the causes of hearing loss in childhood that can be prevented through public health measures. By raising awareness, the hope is to lessen the impact of childhood hearing loss in society.
World Hearing Day also aims to bring attention to services and interventions that can be provided to children with hearing impairments. Early screenings and education, for example, can gives children with hearing impairments a better chance of developing at the same rate as their peers.
Last year, the Ida Institute ran a competition with technical support from WHO to source the logo for World Hearing Day. The winning logo was designed by the China Rehabilitation Research Center for Deaf Children.
How will you be celebrating World Hearing Day? Visit the WHO’s website to learn more about the day and download materials, or our Ideas Worth Hearing page for inspiration, and tell us about your activities in our Forum.