According to WHO data, around 63 million people are suffering from Significant Auditory Impairment, making it the most common sensory deficit today.
Published Aug 11, 2024 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 11, 2024 | 11:00 AM
Hearing impairment screening. (iStock)
Aiming to detect hearing impairment at an early stage, Kerala is set to embark on a comprehensive hearing screening program for all preschool children aged under six. The ambitious project will be piloted in Thrissur district before being rolled out statewide.
With hearing impairment being one of the most common sensory deficits, there are not enough systems in place to tackle the issue.
Currently, in Kerala, hearing screening is primarily conducted only in government maternity hospitals, leaving a significant gap in the coverage of children born outside these facilities. Recognizing this lacuna, the State Initiative on Disabilities (SID) has taken the lead in conceptualizing this comprehensive program.
Health experts and child development specialists have lauded the initiative, emphasizing its potential to transform early childhood care in Kerala. They believe that by investing in early intervention, the state can significantly reduce the impact of hearing loss on children’s lives.
According to the World Health Organization data, around 63 million people, estimated to be 6.3 percent of the Indian population are suffering from Significant Auditory Impairment, making it the most common sensory deficit in humans today.
As per the NSSO survey, currently, 291 persons per one lakh population are suffering from severe to profound hearing loss (NSSO, 2001). Of these, a large percentage are children between the ages of 0 to 14 years.
Noting the above data, the National Health Mission observed, “With such a large number of hearing-impaired young Indians, it amounts to a severe loss of productivity, both physical and economic. An even larger percentage of our population suffers from milder degrees of hearing loss and unilateral (one-sided) hearing loss.”
According to the WHO, at any age, disabling hearing impairment has a profound impact on interpersonal communication, psychosocial well-being, quality of life and economic independence.
“If it develops in the young, such impairment impedes speech and language development and sets the affected children on a trajectory of limited educational and vocational attainment. Children with hearing impairment may also be at increased risk of physical, social, emotional and sexual abuse,” reads an excerpt from a study by WHO.
The initiative will involve a door-to-door screening process, leveraging the extensive network of Junior Public Health Nurses (JPHN), Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers. This approach will ensure maximum reach and accessibility, enabling early identification of hearing impairments.
Speaking with South First an official of SID said, “Early detection of hearing loss is crucial for optimal child development. Children with undetected hearing impairment may face significant challenges in speech, language, and social development. By implementing this screening program, Kerala aims to provide timely intervention and support services to children with hearing loss, thereby enhancing their overall quality of life.”
According to the official, though some private hospitals also carried out such screening programmes there is no database regarding that and the newly launched initiative will address that gap.
“Currently no such mechanism is there to monitor it. Some private hospitals ensure this and some others don’t. Even in government hospitals, the screening has its own flaws. That’s why it was decided to conduct a door-to-door screening process,” added the official.
The SID assessment of the pilot project in Thrissur will serve as a blueprint for the statewide implementation as the learnings and outcomes will be instrumental in refining the programme and ensuring its successful rollout across the state.
For the screening programme, a mobile-compatible software will be developed and the JPHN/ ASHA and Anganwadi workers will be trained for the same. Information education and communication materials are expected to be available soon.
“The plan is to cover 255 villages in Thrissur and the screening is expected to be completed within 60 days. A total of 2,000 volunteers are expected to become part of this initiative,” said an official of the Social Justice Department.
The total outlay of the pilot project has been pegged as ₹21.65 lakh.
According to Jabir PM, general secretary, of the Indian Speech Language and Hearing Association -Kerala chapter, though the initiative in general is appreciable it should have to be implemented by adhering to the existing protocols in screening.
“Early detection of hearing loss is conducted through newborn hearing screening. In the case of a normal delivery, such screening is conducted within three hours of the delivery. Whereas, in the case of a caesarean section, it is conducted on the third day. Thus, we could ensure early screening,” said Jabir to South First.
He added, “Once the newborn fails this screening test, a rescreening is conducted a month later. If the child fails that screening, higher audiological tests will be conducted immediately. It’s at this time that we implement the 1-3-6 protocol.”
Explaining the protocol, Jabir said, “That means, within one month we detect the hearing impairment, then we initiate the treatment and rehabilitation phase. This will continue for three months. After that, an assessment will made. On the sixth month, if no improvement is there the child is immediately inducted into Sruthitharangam (Cochlear Implantation Scheme) of the Social Justice Department.”
Sruthitharangam scheme envisions providing free cochlear implantation surgery for children in the age group of 0-5 years, who are hearing impaired).
According to him, after induction a child will be monitored for two years and during that period, he/she will be provided with training so that they could behave like a normal child.
“One of the merits, that I see, in this screening programme is that it may help to identify middle-ear infection, which is more prevalent among the paediatric population. But for that proper implementation is needed. Hearing screening could only be conducted by experts, and that too in audiology rooms. How will this be conducted, we may have to wait and see,” added Jabir.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
