On 3rd March 2022, Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre in partnership with MEDeL hosted this year’s World hearing day at Nakivubo Blue Primary School. The occasion was graced by the head of the Austrian Development Agency, the country representative of the World Health Organization, the Mayor, Kampala Central Division, and delegates from the Ministry of Health as well as other government bodies.
Mrs. Fiona Kamya, the Managing Director of Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre noted that one of the main purposes for the event was to celebrate hearing. “We’ve not organized this alone; we have done it together with our partners and different stakeholders.” Mrs. Kamya appreciated the World Health Organization for the statutes and resolutions that open doors for the Centre to hold conversations on ear health and other important facets like the challenges faced by Audiologists in the country.
“Today we are also celebrating collaborations and partnership. As a company we have been able to achieve alot. We introduced the first digital hearing aids in Uganda, through partnership with Oticon. We were able to start pediatric testing on children and are able to carry out neonatal and new-born screening in babies to tell if their hearing is okay or not.” “Through our partnership with MEDeL, we have been able to access cochlear implant technology, access surgeons who come to carry out the operation and train Ugandan surgeons to ensure knowledge transfer.”
In his remarks, Mr. Salim Uhuru Nsubuga, the Mayor, Kampala Central Division welcomed the guests to Kampala Central Division and extended a vote of thanks to KASC for the great job done in organizing the event. He assured the guests of KCCA’s interest to partner with Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre to see how the division can help children with hearing challenges. He also extended a word of caution to the youths of the country to take care when using headphones because many road accidents reported could have been avoided had someone been listening to sounds around them instead of loud music in headphones.
The pupils of Nakivubo Primary School surprised the guests with a beautifully worded and choreographed poem that stressed the importance of taking care of one’s ears. “Poor Ssebagala misused his headphones, listening to loud music and now has to spend a fortune taking care of his ears. Their poem titled “trading the doom” reminded the audience on proper ear care practices and highlighted habits that people should not do that can be harmful to one’s ears. The poem encouraged people to keep their ears dry and to avoid ear infections. “Use not cotton buds”, they recited, “for they push ear wax further into the ear canal.”
The World Health Organization Country Advisor for Non-Communicable diseases, Dr. Hasifa Kasule in her remarks said about 4.5% of the African population live with this invisible disability that mostly commonly goes unnoticed. Hearing loss has many causes, including genetic causes, birth complications, exposure to excessive noise, chronic ear infections and use of medication whose side-effects affect hearing. She cautioned the use of this kind of medication, citing that they should be used with professional guidance. She thanked MEDeL and the Austrian government for making it possible for Uganda to access hearing aids that are much needed in the country.
Dr. Kasule said “Inaction comes at a high cost and excluding the cost of hearing devices, which are exorbitant, WHO estimates that un-addressed significant hearing loss is the 3rd largest cause of years lived with this disability.” she urged the Mayor, the Primary Health care clinics of Kampala Capital City Authority to carry out screening of children to detect hearing loss early and also encouraged them to speak to mothers to alert them about the use of harmful medicines and the importance of all attending antenatal sessions during pregnancy.
Dr. Roswitha Kremser, the representative of the Republic of Austria to Uganda, said “I am delighted to attend the World Hearing Day celebrations as a testimony to the Austrian support to the increased access to healthcare services in Uganda.”
Dr. Kremser, who doubles as the Head of the Austrian Development Agency in Uganda, also noted that in the recent past, patients had to travel outside the country to access services complex medical procedures like the cochlear implant. The fact that the [cochlear implant] operations being performed with Ugandan doctors, in Uganda, is evidence of the high-tech transfer of knowledge to Uganda. She noted that she was happy that the Austrian government can partner with MEDeL to bring high-tech hearing devices to Uganda.
MEDeL is an Austrian company that carries out researches in the field of hearing loss and develops and manufactures implantable hearing systems. These include cochlear implants, middle ear implants, bone conduction hearing implants, electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant systems and auditory brainstem implants. In Uganda, MEDeL has partnered with Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre to provide cochlear implant systems to patients in need, giving a special 50% reduction in price for the second ear, on purchase of an implant for the first ear.
Dr. Sarah Ayesiga, the Assistant Commissioner, Inclusive and Non-Formal Education in the Ministry of Education and Sports represented the guest of honor, the Minister of State for Primary Education during the World Hearing Day celebrations. In her remarks, urged parents to desist from using corporal punishment: slapping children, knocking the child’s head, among other forms citing that in that moment of anger, a parent can cause an injury to their child which could lead to the loss of the child’s hearing.
“I thank the organizers and funders of the event for bringing us all hear to give honor to the gift of hearing. We cannot take the gift of hearing for granted. The ability to hear is a gift and therefore we should appreciate it by protecting it religiously” Dr. Ayesiga said.
The guest of honor recommended that some actions be initiated in order to make progress in dealing with the issue of hearing loss. Top of her list was raising awareness and building political commitment and integrating strategies for ear and hearing care in the education system.
This year’s World Hearing day was held under the theme “To hear for life, listen with care” with a focus on hearing loss prevention through safe listening. The main emphasis during the celebrations was on prevention of hearing loss especially noise induced hearing loss.
As part of the World Hearing day celebrations, Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre provided free ear care services to over 500 school going adolescents.
Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre also unveiled the state-of-the-art Mini Audiology Booth. The very first of its kind in Uganda, the mini audiology booth is a portable sound-proof room which will enable precise hearing tests to be done for people that may not be able to come to the KASC offices in Kampala. Mrs. Kamya, stated “This will enable us carry out hearing tests all over Uganda”
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Bravo and congratulations