[ti:WHO Warns 2.5 Billion Will Have Hearing Problems by 2050]
[by:www.21voa.com]
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[00:00.04]The World Health Organization (WHO) warns
[00:03.24]that 25 percent of the world's population,
[00:07.16]or 2.5 billion people, will have hearing problems by 2050.
[00:15.88]The warning came from the first-ever report on hearing
[00:20.56]from the United Nation's health agency.
[00:23.88]The report found that many of the causes of hearing loss are preventable.
[00:30.16]They include infections, disease,
[00:35.00]birth defects, too much noise and lifestyle choices.
[00:42.40]To fight hearing loss, the report suggests measures which, it says,
[00:48.60]could cost what is equal to $1.33 for every person each year.
[00:57.68]WHO director-general Tedros Adhonom Ghebreyesus
[01:03.32]said the cost of doing nothing is very high,
[01:07.40]an estimated $1 trillion.
[01:11.00]The U.N. researchers estimate
[01:14.24]that one in five people around the world
[01:17.60]already have hearing problems.
[01:20.68]But the report warned the number may increase to 2.5 billion people
[01:27.92]during the next 30 years.
[01:31.80]And 700 million would require some kind of treatment
[01:37.32]for hearing loss by 2050.
[01:42.48]The U.N. experts say in the report
[01:46.48]that many people with hearing loss cannot get care.
[01:51.12]This is especially a problem in poor countries
[01:55.68]where there are fewer health care professionals.
[02:00.36]Eighty percent of people with hearing loss live in poor countries.
[02:07.64]The report finds that, among those countries,
[02:12.36]78 percent have fewer than one ear, nose and throat specialists
[02:19.04]for every million people.
[02:22.72]The numbers are similar for specialists who treat hearing,
[02:27.36]speech therapists and teachers for the deaf.
[02:33.52]The report adds that even in rich countries,
[02:37.68]the ability to get hearing treatment is uneven.
[02:41.84]It said there is a lack of good information and a stigma
[02:47.44]surrounding hearing problems
[02:50.00]that prevents people from getting treatment.
[02:54.44]"Even among health-care providers, knowledge relevant to prevention,
[03:00.40]early identification and management of hearing loss and ear disease
[03:06.32]is commonly lacking."
[03:09.56]The report proposes active measures for solving the problem.
[03:14.60]It recommends public health campaigns
[03:18.88]aimed at reducing loud noise.
[03:23.00]It also calls for increased vaccinations
[03:27.24]against diseases like meningitis
[03:30.80]which have been linked to hearing loss.
[03:35.40]Other recommendations include systematic examination of people
[03:42.00]to identify problems at different points in their lives.
[03:47.32]For example, the report notes that 60 percent
[03:51.64]of hearing problems in children could be prevented.
[03:57.28]Programs to identify possible problems
[04:01.12]that target new mothers and babies can help too.
[04:07.92]In addition, recent technological improvements,
[04:12.60]including easy-to-use tools,
[04:16.04]can identify ear disease and hearing loss at any age.
[04:22.64]It is now easier to carry out screening in difficult conditions
[04:28.36]like those found during the coronavirus health crisis
[04:33.32]and in "underserved" areas of the world.
[04:39.40]I'm Mario Ritter, Jr. 更多听力请访问21VOA.COM