The Road to Hearing Health Equity

Of the 1.6 billion people with hearing loss worldwide, over 1.2 billion live in underserved communities with the least access to hearing care. This includes preventable hearing loss in an estimated 42 million children who, without early identification and treatment, are at increased risk of significant detrimental effects that can last a lifetime. These immense hearing health disparities provide a clear and compelling call to action. The new Center for Hearing Health Equity at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is the first of its kind in the world, established to deliver the critical mission of fostering hearing health equity both globally and locally. This article describes the Center's approach, which is built on inclusive, multidisciplinary collaboration guiding a research-driven, public-health oriented agenda to develop evidence that is directly translatable to policy change. The end goal is to generate momentum towards sustained solutions that will create a new future with hearing care accessible to all.

Duke Scholars

Author Susan D Emmett Duke Global Health Institute