Organization: Ear, Nose and Throat Department and Audiology Centre, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Title: Public awareness creation, ear and hearing care professions engagement, community outreach events
Al title (for format and translation – not permanent:
Public awareness creation, ear and hearing care professions engagement, community outreach events
Description:
Events planning was by a team of ENT doctors, audiologists, speech and language therapists and administrative staff of the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. Events included an open day in the hospital for patients and staff ( the clinic was an open event with health talks, ear screening, hearing screening and treatment of reported conditions). Health talks on the theme, early identification of ear and hearing conditions were carried out at the Child health and Maternity Departments as well as ENT Department throughout the week. There was also a midweek seminar for health staff (in-person and online engagement) on the theme for the celebration with focus on how best ear and hearing care professionals will increase awareness of hearing healthcare. It was a time to make the various professions (family physicians, ENT doctors and nurses, audiologists and speech and language therapists) of the collaborative efforts needed to enhance and promote ear and hearing care, all agreed to the need to have a strategic plan and national ear and hearing care policy to guide activities and serve for monitoring and evaluation of progress. On media engagements, two stations offered airtime on their popular shows for discussion on hearing care for all children.
The events of the week was climaxed by a school screening event to a community school where pupils in Kindergarten and primary had their ear, nose and throat checked and hearing tested. On social media, members of the department posted on various platforms to create awareness to their contacts and other viewers.
Mrs. Jemima Fynn was invited to Freetown, Sierra Leone, to support the ENT team for the first ever ear and hearing care awareness creation. Events included newborn hearing screening, school screening, meeting with leaders of the health ministry and public seminar.
Primary site: AFR – Ghana
Region: AFR
Secondary sites:Sierra Leone
Impactful Story:
I share this from the hearing awareness events I undertook in Freetown Sierra Leone which currently has no newborn hearing screening program of any form. At the maternal and child health department, we requested to screen neonates, there was a 4 month baby for review who had a history of neonatal jaundice. We tested with otoacoustic emissions which gave a pass and automated auditory brainstem response (AABR) failed in both ears. Auditory steady state response diagnostic showed no response at 80dBHL in both ears. it was very fulfilling to identify that child who is scheduled for hearing aids.
General Photos
School screening activity-pupil undergoing hearing screen
The first newborn hearing screening awareness in Freetown
Radio health talk show programme with ENT Specialists
School screening team
Types of Engagement:
Live event: Yes
Screening: Yes
Traditional media: Yes
Social media: Yes
Special needs populations:
Met with individual policymaker: Yes
Participation of policy makers: Yes
Participation of influencers: No
WHO technical tool used: Yes
WHO educational and social media used: No