Two girls wearing yellow walking together © CBM/ Hayduk

CBM supports WHO regional advocacy for ear and hearing care in Africa

CBM, in partnership with the WHO Africa Regional Office, is advocating for enhanced hearing health by providing critical data to Ministries of Health, aiming to prioritise and address the increasing prevalence of hearing loss and its socio-economic impacts. With a focus on prevention, early intervention, and equitable access to services, CBM seeks to dismantle barriers to ear and hearing care (EHC) through community outreach, capacity building, and clinical services, ultimately improving outcomes for those affected.

CBM neonatal hearing screening in Cameroon

As global attention turns to World Hearing Day (WHD) on March 3, 2025, CBM is amplifying its efforts in ear and hearing care (EHC) advocacy across Africa. 

In partnership with the World Health Organization’s Africa Regional Office (WHO AFRO), CBM is supporting high-level advocacy by distributing the “Status Report of Ear and Hearing Care in the WHO African Region” to ten WHO Country Offices of Ethiopia, Kenya , Tanzania , Zimbabwe, Nigeria , Rwanda, Uganda , Sierra Leone and Rwanda. This initiative aims to provide Ministries of Health with critical data for prioritising hearing health.

Hearing loss in Africa: A growing concern 

Findings published in the report reveal that Africa alone has about 40 million people with hearing loss, a prevalence of 3.6%. It is projected that by 2030, 54 million people in Africa will have disabling hearing loss, which is expected to increase to 97 million by 2050. Failure to address hearing loss costs African economies approximately US$ 27.1 billion annually. 

The report provides a detailed analysis of EHC challenges across the continent—from acute shortages in the EHC workforce and limited availability of services for EHC at primary and secondary levels of care to financing limitations and infrastructure gaps—and equips Ministries of Health with actionable data to prioritise hearing health. 

 

CBM’s approach to ear and hearing care

ENT specialists perform tympanoplasty surgery on a patient in an operation room. © CBM/Hayduk
ENT specialist Dr. Uta Froeschl trains trainees Taonga Shonga and Mwansa Chabala on tympanoplasty techniques at Beit Cure Hospital's ENT Department in Lusaka, Zambia.

With hearing loss on the rise—an estimated 500 million people will require rehabilitation by 2030—action is urgent. One billion young people, particularly adolescents, are at risk due to prolonged exposure to loud sounds. Prevention, early intervention, and access to rehabilitation are critical. 

CBM and our partners’ work in ear and hearing care aspires to remove the barriers that prevent individuals from accessing essential ear and hearing care services. We aim to make optimal ear health care and assistive hearing technology accessible to all through: 

  • Community outreach and awareness raising to address stigma, change attitudes at all levels, from local communities to national governments, and identify individuals needing treatment and support services. 
  • Evidence generation to support CBM's advocacy interventions for our partners and governments to meet the specific needs of the local population. 
  • Provision of clinical services, ear surgery, and hearing aids through our dedicated partner health centres and projects. 
  • Capacity building and technical advice in ear and hearing care for community, primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare, as well as public health professionals. 
  • Supporting local technological innovation in collaboration with our partners, other civil society organisations, academic institutions, governments, and UN agencies. 

 

Strengthening neonatal screening in Cameroon
CBM’s impact in ear and hearing care extends beyond advocacy to tangible service delivery, as demonstrated by the Neonatal Ear Screening initiative in the Northwest Region of Cameroon. This initiative, launched in 2020 through CBC Health Services with funding from CBM, has transformed early hearing detection for newborns. Initially piloted in four health facilities, the initiative expanded in 2021 and 2022 under the Ear and Hearing Care Project, incorporating four additional facilities.

Since its inception, over 1,800 neonates have been screened using Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs) machines, with primary healthcare providers and ENT nurses trained to conduct the screenings.

One standout facility, Nkwen District Hospital, now screens around 600 babies annually, thanks to CBM’s investment in essential medical equipment, including a neonatal screening machine and a screening booth. This intervention has empowered healthcare workers and increased access to early diagnosis, giving children the best start in life.

 

WHD activities in Cameroon 

CBM is actively participating in WHD 2025 in Cameroon, hosting three key events in Yaoundé from 3 to 7 March with support from CBM-CO and Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS): 

  • 3 March: WHD ceremony presided over by the Cameroon Ministry of Health. 
  • 3-5 March: Training of Trainers workshop on Primary EHC, equipping Primary Health Care workers with CBM and WHO training resources. 
  • 6-7 March: Strategic EHC planning meeting with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Affairs, WHO CO, and disability organisations. 

Investing in prevention and advocacy 

The real opportunity lies in prevention—60% of childhood hearing loss is avoidable. With increased investment, CBM aims to scale up low-cost innovations and strengthen advocacy efforts to shift mindsets and policies. 

By partnering with CBM, stakeholders contribute to a WHO-aligned, measurable impact, ensuring that ear and hearing care services reach those who need them most.