Background information

The World Health Organisation estimates that at least 250 million people have a disabling hearing loss. Two-thirds of these live in developing countries where resources to prevent hearing impairment and to find and help those who are affected are very limited.

There are many causes of hearing loss in developing countries and it is believed that around 50% are preventable.

The Trustees have experience of working with hearing impaired and deaf adults in Britain and in developing counties and have helped provide training for others coming to Britain from more disadvantaged economies. This has brought an understanding of what is required to support the development of professionals and services in these areas and has created a desire to help provide assistance.

As part of the work AUD-M-ED has done, we've dealt with people from many different countries around the world, all with different situations from the one those in Europe are used to. Click on the links below to find out more about audiology in:

• China
• Ghana
• Iraq
• Kenya
• Russia
• Nepal
• Malawi
• Madagascar
• Zanzibar
• India
• Peru
• Cambodia
• Jordan
• Nigeria
• Zambia
• Botswana
• Namibia
• Vietnam

Kumasi has a purpose built hearing centre and a trained audiologist but is short of hearing aids and hearing aid testing equipment and from time to time their testing equipment needs renewing.

We have helped bring over a technician to train in London and have supplied a small number of hearing aids as well as earmould material. We have also sent a second hand hearing aid test-box and a tympanometer.

The hearing aid test box will enable them to check and fit hearing aids more effectively. The tympanometer will be particularly useful when assessing children.

A grant of £500 was sent to a school for the deaf in Accra in Ghana. The money was used to fund two parent workshops, to pay a local deaf carpenter to build tables and chairs for the school and to provide a resource library.