The World Hearing Forum, with over 200 members, drives a global advocacy initiative that provides a common platform and narrative for all stakeholders to collaborate and raise awareness about the need and means for ear and hearing care through its 5 workstreams: (1) Make Listening Safe, (2) World Hearing Day, (3) Changemakers (4) External Relations and (5) Members Engagement, to achieve its advocacy goal.  

Interested in becoming a member? The membership application process will be open from August 15 to October 15, 2024.

Higlights from World Hearing Day 2024

As in the past years, the largest advocacy event for ear and hearing care took place on March 3. We want to take this opportunity to reflect on the World Hearing Day 2024 and share with you some of the  highlights from your campaign efforts.

World Hearing Day 2024 focused 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. 

This year a total of 688 events were registered. Even if you missed the registration deadline we invite you  to report your activity before May 15 through the World Hearing Day website.

Changing mindsets is essential to making ear and hearing care accessible

This year as a way to draw attention to the positive impact of timely identification and different options of rehabilitation of ear and hearing problems, a Changemakers photo exhibition took place at WHO, HQ in Geneva as well as virtually. 

See some of these changemakers photos and their stories below:

Jasper Bergmann, Vice President World Federation of the Deaf, Denmark

Kasper Bergmann, Vice President of the World Federation of the Deaf, shares his personal journey of being born deaf and growing up in Denmark. He was exposed to Danish Sign Language from a young age and received hearing aids, although they were not beneficial for him. As a result of early access to communication through sign language, he excelled academically and pursued a career in health economics before transitioning into international cooperation and development work. Bergmann's passion lies in promoting the right to sign language for deaf individuals worldwide. He is proud to have contributed to the development of the World report on hearing and works tirelessly to ensure that every deaf person has early access to sign language.

Liam Sebastian Ormeño Gil, Peru

 Liam, a 9-year-old boy from Peru, was born prematurely. As he grew older, his mother noticed that he had difficulty responding to calls and his speech development was slow. Seeking answers, they went to see a doctor and at the age of four, Liam was diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss. This marked the beginning of a journey to provide him with the best opportunities and support in his development.

The following year, Liam started auditory rehabilitation and was fitted with hearing aids. This new phase brought significant improvements to his life. He no longer struggled with the volume of the TV or the phone, and his willingness to pay attention and understand his surroundings increased.

As a result of his brave and resilient spirit Liam excels in soccer and radiates happiness and sociability. He enjoys meeting others with hearing aids and learning about their stories, showing that love and support can transform not only one life but also inspire others.

In this issue of the World Hearing Forum newsletter, we would like to highlight some of the individuals who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make World Hearing Day 2024 possible.

We asked them to summarize their experiences working for the World Hearing Day 2024 and here it is what they said.

Srivatsan Sankaran, Travel Photographer, Changemakers workstream

Srivatsan Sankaran is a Changemaker who has supported the World Hearing Day group on its social media activities undertaken during World Hearing Day 2024. 

"I firmly believe that social media wields immense influence in shaping the mindsets of young individuals, generating a profound ripple effect that brings about meaningful change. As an active participant in this transformative platform, I am wholeheartedly grateful for the opportunity to support and engage with communities through social media", Srivatsan said.

Katya Freire, Audiologist, Make Listening Safe workstream

Katya supported World Hearing Day social media activities on Instagram.

"Participating in the WHD is good for the soul. Knowing that even small actions can generate big changes in people's lives makes me feel that I am fulfilling my mission in this life. Help change mentalities and act in favor of Ear and Hearing Care for all! Together we are stronger, we can change the world”, Katya said.

Mauro Menzietti, Founder of Uditoitalia, World Hearing Day workstream

Mauro Menzietti is behind the team which puts together every year the World Hearing Day report of activities. If you haven't reported the event undertaken during WHD 2024 you can do it here before May 15.

"Let’s all celebrate World Hearing Day! Let’s all make everyday a World Hearing Day!"- Mauro said.

The 2023 report of activities is online and ready to read. You can find it here.

Lidia Zabala, Digital Marketing professional, World Hearing Day workstream

Lidia is an active contributor to WHF communication activities and supported World Hearing Day social media activities on LinkedIn.

"I'm very happy to be part of the World Hearing Day working group. Social media platforms are a great way to amplify our reach and advocate for ear and hearing care, and this year I supported over 30 individuals with customized profile pictures promoting World Hearing Day. It was wonderful to hear about all the events and initiatives happening around the world and to celebrate #WorldHearingDay2024 with matching pictures!"- Lidia reflected.

Ingrid Prince, Projector Coordinator at World Wide Hearing (WWH), Changemakers workstream

Ingrid Prince collected, curated and published the Changemaker stories on the WHF website.

"Supporting World Hearing Day 2024 was an eye-opening experience, witnessing the team's inspiring dedication to hearing health and connecting with extraordinary individuals. I'm incredibly proud to have contributed to promoting their stories, realizing the strength and resilience they embody in the face of diversity", Ingrid said.

David Molter, Professor of pediatric ENT at Washington University in St Louis, World Hearing Day workstream

David Molter manages the  World Hearing Day website including registration and reporting of activities.

"While we value the information groups provide us, my favorites are the photos of similar messages being shared in such diverse settings", said David.

James Saunders, MD, Professor of Otology - Neurotology, Co-Chair, Coalition for Global Hearing Health, World Hearing Day workstream

To promote and support the celebration of World Hearing Day, the World Hearing Forum and  the Coalition for Global Hearing Health (CGHH)  launched the WHD Small Grants Programme. As part of this programme, organizations can apply for a grant of up to $800 USD to cover expenses related to World Hearing Day activities.

James Saunders organizes and manages the WHD Small Grants Programme. This year a total 39 grants were provided.

"It is a great privilege to work with the World Hearing Day workstream and to help distribute the WHD Small Grants to such a commendable group of Ear and Hearing Care advocates around the world", James said.  

Snigdha Sarkar, Co-Chair of Global Coalition of Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, World Hearing Day workstream

Snigdha Sarkar is responsible for the coordination of translations of the World Hearing Day materials. This year the materials were translated into a total of 37 languages and 5 sign languages.

"I loved being involved in the translation process and feel happy that the number of languages is increasing yearly", Snigdha said.

Launch of the Hearing aid service delivery approaches for low-and middle-income settings

Developed with support from the ATScale Global collaboration on assistive technology, on 21 March the Hearing aid service delivery approaches for low-and middle-income settings was launched globally. This tool is intended to support countries in implementing  community level programmes for the delivery of hearing aid services in order to increase by 20% the effective coverage of hearing technology among people with hearing loss by 2030.

If you want to know more about this tool visit the website or write to whf@who.int

CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V.

Engaging with non-State actors across the globe is essential for WHO to be able to achieve its goals and priorities and fulfil its critical mission. The Executive Board of WHO granted CBM in 1989 the priviige to become a Non-State actor in official relations with WHO. The aims and activities of the organization are in conformity with the purposes and principles of WHO’s Constitution, and they contribute significantly to the advancement of public health.

CBM as a non-state actor in official relations with WHO and as a member of the World Hearing Forum has been committed to provide technical inputs and recommendations to facilitate the implementation of WHO Primary Ear and Hearing Care training resource. Besides, they support and facilitate national promotion of the World report on hearing and Hearing aid service delivery approaches for resource limited settings and develop advocacy resources to raise awareness and strengthen ear and hearing care in different countries.

ENT and Head and Neck Research Center of Iran University of Medical Sciences

The WHO collaborating centres are an essential and cost-effective cooperation mechanism, which enables WHO to fulfill its mandated activities and to harness resources far exceeding its own.

Ear and Hearing Care system varies broadly in status in the Eastern Mediterranean region. The strengthening of health information systems is a priority for WHO in the Region. 

One of the collaborative activities of the ENT and Head and Neck Research of Iran University of Medical Sciences and WHO has been performing and disseminating a systematic review concerning situational analysis of Ear and Hearing Care through the Eastern Mediterranean Region countries. Furthemore, the other joint activity of the institute as a WHOCC has been to conduct a national population-based survey to access high-quality data regarding the evaluation of the hearing care system and related services in Iran. 

A different sound

New study confirms that larvae on degraded reefs can respond to healthy reef sounds

Healthy coral reefs have a complex soundscape that includes the croaks, purrs, and grunts of various fish, as well as the crackling of snapping shrimp. Larval coral uses these noises as cues to determine the best places to settle and prosper.

The authors of a new study determined that sound could be a significant tool in the effort to restore coral reefs. Broadcasting noises from a healthy reef onto a degraded reef encourages coral larvae to settle there. This shows that 'acoustic enrichment' could be an important method for saving vulnerable reefs.

Did you know that artists such as Chris Martin or Grimes suffer from hearing loss?

Hearing loss affects many well-known singers and musicians.

So, let's look at how they have experienced their hearing loss and how they have overcome challenges through their hearing loss journeys.

Factors associated with age-related hearing loss differ between males and females

Certain factors associated with developing age-related hearing loss differ by sex, including weight, smoking behavior, and hormone exposure, according to a new study.

Big Ocean

A K-Pop group with hearing loss that seeks to break misunderstandings and prejudices towards persons with disabilities. The group uses Korean Sign Language (KSL), American Sign Language (ASL), and International Sign Language (ISL).

And They Lived … Ever After 

And They Lived … Ever After is the title of a new south Asian book of reworked European classics written by women with disabilities.

“In my Rapunzel, with the help of a nano-enabled hearing aid, she navigates the complex world of complete silence independently,” says Dholakia, who is partially deaf. She says she can barely believe that she is now a published author.

We would like to give a warm welcome to our new members: Computational Audiology Network (CAN), Dangerous Decibels, Department of Audiology & Speech Language Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India, Ear Foundation and Smile Train.

This newsletter has been curated by the WHO Ear and Hearing Care Programme. Reach out via email:

• For general enquiries related to the World Hearing Forum at  whf@who.int
• For enquiries related to the Make Listening Safe Initiative at mls@who.int 
• Is there anything specific you'd like to see more of in the WHF newsletter? Send your feedback to Carolina Pardal Belinchón at belinchonc@who.int