51吃瓜

The Technology Bank, in collaboration with Medtronic Labs (MDT Labs) and MED-EL, has established a consortium to support the Kingdom of Bhutan under the Hear, Listen and Speak Programme for all Bhutanese Children.

The programme will build locally-based professional capacity and services in newborn hearing screening, hearing technology, and habilitation that are essential for Bhutanese children 0-6 years of age who are deaf or hard of hearing. Moreover, the programme will enable treatment of children identified with ear disorders via ENT services and/or hearing aids as needed and establish a nationwide newborn hearing screening, sustainable supply of hearing technology. Furthermore, locally-based professional expertise and rehabilitation services will help babies and children 0-6 with hearing loss to listen and speak.

The programme also implements preventive screening and ear and hearing care services for Bhutanese children 7-14 years of age to protect their ears and hearing while referring them to existing specialised services as required. The programme over the three-year period will screen 190,000 children 0-14 for hearing loss and ear disorders (based on Program projections).

The programme will expand in partnership with MDT Labs to at least two more LDCs, beginning with Malawi. 

To date, the programme has:

• screened over 76,000 school children in nine districts
• treated over 2,000 children
• trained 250 school health coordinators
• trained 20 audiologists and ENT technicians
• transferred over 100 screening devices & equipment
• provided 600 hearing aids donated by GN ReSound and Hear the World Foundation