World Hearing Day 2024 (3 March)
Changing mindsets:
Let’s make ear and hearing care a reality for all!
World Hearing Day 2024 will focus on overcoming the challenges posed by societal misperceptions and stigmatizing mindsets through awareness-raising and information-sharing, targeted at the public and health care providers.
Key messages
- Globally, over 80% of ear and hearing care needs remain unmet.
- Unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual cost of nearly US$1 trillion globally.
- Deeply ingrained societal misperceptions and stigmatizing mindsets are key factors that limit efforts for preventing and addressing hearing loss.
- Changing mindsets related to ear and hearing care is crucial to improving access and mitigating the cost of unaddressed hearing loss.
World Hearing Day 2024 will be observed with the following objectives:
Counter the common misperceptions related to ear and hearing problems in communities and among health care providers.
Provide accurate and evidence-based information to change public perceptions of ear and hearing problems.
Call on countries and civil society to address misperceptions and stigmatizing mindsets related to hearing loss, as a crucial step towards ensuring equitable access to ear and hearing care.
*WHO estimates that unaddressed hearing loss poses an annual cost
of $980 billion each year. This is the cost incurred due to the impact of
hearing loss without rehabilitation access, including productivity losses and
social exclusion.
Advocacy materials
The materials will be available in multiple non-UN languages.
Related resources
Community resources
This resource outlines practical steps to identify and support adults with potential hearing loss. This resource offers guidance on recognizing...
This resource outlines practical steps to identify and support adults with potential hearing loss. This resource offers guidance on recognizing early signs...
21 April 2023
Community resource 2: Care of discharging ears
This resource gives practical steps on how to manage a discharging ear, from cleaning the ear canal to using ear drops and protecting it from...
Parents can recognize common childhood landmarks with respect to hearing and speech development. The information provided in this resource can help...
21 April 2023
Community resource 4: Tips for hearing aid users
This information resource is intended for people using hearing aids. It can help understand their hearing aids, answer some common questions and guide...
21 April 2023
Community resource 5: Tips for healthy ears
This information resource can help people learn how to care for their ears, including ways to clean your ears, and simple Do's and Don’ts for healthy...
21 April 2023
Community resource 6: Tips for safe listening
This information resource gives simple steps to protect your hearing while listening to sounds (e.g. music or gaming sounds) over headphones and in entertainment...