Organization: Hear With Care
Title: Hear Early, Learn Better: A World Hearing Day School Initiative
Al title (for format and translation – not permanent:
Hear early, learn better: A World Hearing Day school initiative
Description:
The World Hearing Day 2026 event, titled “Hear Early, Learn Better: “A World Hearing Day School Initiative,” was implemented on 3 March 2026 as a school-based hearing health activity aligned with the global theme “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children.” The event aimed to prevent avoidable childhood hearing loss and promote early identification, referral, and care for children with ear and hearing problems through a child-friendly and community-centered approach.
The event was hosted in Jokese Montessori school setting and designed to reach school-age children, teachers, parents, and education stakeholders. Through storytelling, and question-and-answer sessions, children were introduced to simple but important messages about hearing health, including how to protect their ears, recognise signs of hearing difficulty, and understand why hearing well is important for learning and communication. WHO World Hearing Day awareness materials were adapted and incorporated into the sessions to ensure accuracy and alignment with global messaging. Following the interactive educational segment, participating children underwent basic ear screening conducted by trained personnel. Screening included visual ear inspection and hearing checks appropriate for the school environment. Children who did not pass the screening were provided with referral guidance for further assessment and management at appropriate health facilities. This ensured that the activity went beyond awareness-raising to support early identification and access to care.
Teachers, school health nurses, and parents were engaged through brief orientation sessions focused on recognising early signs of hearing loss, understanding common causes of ear problems in children, and knowing when and where to seek help. These sessions also highlighted the importance of integrating routine ear and hearing screening into existing school health activities.
Primary site: AFR – Ghana
Region: AFR
Impactful Story:
During the talk, a parent shared that she regularly used cotton buds to clean her ears because she believed it helped keep them clean. During the session, our team used a video otoscope to show participants the inside of the ear canal. When the parent saw the image of her own ear, it revealed impacted earwax. She was surprised to learn that frequent cotton bud use can push wax deeper into the ear rather than remove it. Seeing this firsthand changed her perspective. She expressed that she would stop using cotton buds and seek proper ear care when necessary.
General Photos
Students of Jokese Montessori
Parents
Teachers
Screening
Types of Engagement:
Live event: No
Screening: Yes
Traditional media: No
Social media: Yes
Special needs populations: children and adolescents, older adults
Met with individual policymaker: No
Participation of policy makers: Yes
Participation of influencers: No
WHO technical tool used: No
WHO educational and social media used: No