ADVANCING EARLY DETECTION OF HEARING LOSS IN CHILDREN
The early detection and treatment of hearing impairment in newborns and infants has a beneficial effect on language acquisition.
Hearing plays a key part in learning to talk. Without speech and hearing it is difficult for interpersonal relationships to develop and thrive.
The current hearing screening process begins with newborn screening.
The County Government of Nandi in partnership with Global Partnerships for Hearing Health and Children’s Speech and Hearing Loss Organization (CHISLO) have established an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program. The program ensures that every child born with a permanent hearing loss is identified before three months of age and provided with timely and appropriate intervention services before six months of age. Identifying hearing loss at a very early age is important because children with hearing loss often fall behind their peers in speech and language development, cognitive skills and social skills.
Through the partnership the County Government of Nandi has piloted an infant hearing screening project at the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital and several ECD Centers that targets 0-5 year olds.
A team of ENT specialists have also been trained on and use of the screening protocol developed by the US-based Early Childhood Hearing Outreach (ECHO) program from Utah State University. The County has obtained two OAE screening devices from the organization.
Earlier today, Pete Harris from the Global Partnerships for Hearing Health (GPHH), Utah State in the USA and Steve Kitur from Children’s Speech and Hearing Loss Organization (CHISLO) led a team of ENT specialists from the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital for an outreach program at Ol’Lessos Primary School and at Kapsabet School for the Hearing Impaired.
Over 80 ECD learners were attended to whereas 15 others were referred to the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital ENT Clinic for further medication.
The team also met with the Deputy Governor Dr Yulita Cheruiyot and the CEC for Health and Sanitation Ruth Koech.