WHO Says Measles, Meningitis ,Mumps and Rubella Could Cause Deafness

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Measles, meningitis...


The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that an estimated 40 per cent of hearing loss is attributable to genetic causes and 31 per cent to infections such as measles, mumps, rubella and meningitis.
A new report by the world health body on ‘Childhood hearing loss: act now, here’s how’, said that nearly 32 million children across the world lived with disabling hearing loss but 60 per cent of this hearing loss could be prevented.
It also highlighted that if hearing loss was detected early enough, and if children receive the care they need, they could reach their full potential.
This is coming ahead of the World Hearing Day, an annual day which is marked on March 3 and aimed at raising awareness and promoting ear and hearing care across the world.
The theme for the 2016 World Hearing Day is: “Childhood hearing loss; act now, here’s how!’’.
Dr Etienne Krug, Director of the WHO Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention, said “A child who struggles to hear may also struggle to learn to speak.
“The child may also underachieve at school and end up socially isolated. But, this does not have to happen; we have a range of tools to help prevent, detect and treat childhood hearing loss,” Krug said.
The report which said that majority of childhood hearing loss could be prevented, showed that there were many causes of childhood hearing loss.
It also said that 17 per cent of childhood hearing loss was due to complications at birth, including prematurity, low birth weight and neonatal jaundice.
In addition, an estimated 4 per cent of it resulted from expectant mothers and new-borns unknowingly using medicines that are harmful to hearing.
The world health body advised that preventing childhood hearing loss required immunising children against diseases and regulating certain medicines and noise levels are vital.
Culled:  dailytimes.com.ng

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