hearX Foundation
Community-based hearing screening event and program launch
Primary site: AFR – South Africa
Additional site(s):
hearX Foundation, in collaboration with hearX Group, Clinton Health Access Initiative, the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Deafness at the University of Pretoria, and Kalafong Hospital Audiology, celebrated World Hearing Day 2024 with a community event in Atteridgeville, South Africa. The event featured a new program launch and offered free hearing screenings for all interested community members. The opening included an awareness talk around the theme of ‘changing mindsets’ and a testimonial by a community member who received hearing aids through the program. A total of 347 community members, including 120 children, participated in the hearing screenings and 226 video-otoscopy follow-ups were conducted. Post-event follow-ups included 38 wax removals and 135 hearing evaluations. Other activities hosted by hearX Foundation included awareness training sessions presented to call centre staff, school principals and older adults in communities of Khayelitsha and Mbekweni. Various media interviews and social media campaigns were conducted.
Live event: Yes
Screening: Yes
Traditional media: Yes
Social media: Yes
Met with individual policymakers: No
Participation of policymakers: Yes
Participation of influencers: No
WHO educational or publicity material used: Yes
hearX Foundation volunteer screens a young child’s hearing
Hearing awareness talk at Atteridgeville community event
Changing mindsets through awareness talks
Audiologist explains digital otoscopy results