EARLY HEARING LOSS DETECTION PROGRAM

AN INITIATIVE BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF NAIROBI & GERTRUDES CHILDRENS HOSPITAL

It is expected that between 4-6 infants in every 1,000 are born with a hearing loss. According to the World Health Organisation, there were nearly 32 million children living with hearing loss across the world in 2015. Most of these cases were in low and middle-income countries, including Kenya. The good news is more than 50% of the hearing loss cases are preventable, thus early screening and detection is critical. Rotary Club of Nairobi, together with Gertrude’s Childrens Hospital have a mutual interest in launching an infant’s hearing screening program in the County’s health facilities. Early detection of hearing difficulty in infants can help the doctors to proceed with corrective measures including giving hearing aids and therapies which could help reduce the progression to deafness.

Rotary Club of Nairobi is partnering with Gertrude’s Paediatric Audiology Centre, other willing organizations, public health programs in other hospitals, clinics, government services and community-based rehabilitation activities (CBR) so as to increase awareness of the benefits of early hearing screening among children. Gertrudes hospital has partnered with Machakos Level 5 and Thika Level 5 Hospitals – to conduct hearing screening at the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) clinics.

On 2nd November 2017, Rotary Club of Nairobi Immediate Past President Dr. David Githanga officially handed over the hearing loss detection equipment to CEO of Gertrudes Childrens Hospital.