The hearing healthcare workforce: insights into density, distribution and opportunities for capacity-development

Hearing loss is a major global health concern, yet many countries lack the necessary workforce to provide hearing care services. This study aimed to evaluate the global distribution, availability, and training of hearing healthcare providers, including audiologists and other professionals involved in hearing care. DESIGN AND

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✦ The floor

Discussion

Signed responses from readers of the wire.

✦ Clinical Takeaway ✦

No actionable change for individual clinicians; findings are relevant to health policy makers and workforce planners seeking to address global hearing care shortages.

✦ Why It Matters ✦

Global shortfalls in hearing healthcare workers are a critical bottleneck to achieving universal hearing care, and understanding their distribution is the first step toward targeted capacity-building.

✦ Key Points ✦

01Study maps hearing healthcare workforce density and geographic distribution across multiple countries.
02Significant gaps in workforce supply identified, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
03Opportunities for capacity development — including training programs and task-shifting — are outlined.
04Findings published in the International Journal of Audiology (DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2026.2738096).
05Results can inform national health policy and international investment in audiology workforce growth.

✦ Claims & Evidence ✦

ClaimEvidenceSupport

Hearing healthcare workforce density and distribution are unequal across countries, with identifiable gaps.

studypartially supported

There are actionable opportunities for capacity development in hearing healthcare across underserved countries.

studypartially supported

✦ Research metadata ✦

PMID: 42860054
DOI: 10.1080/14992027.2026.2738096.
Journal: International Journal of Audiology
Publication type: research_article
Evidence level: 2b
Population: Hearing healthcare workforce across multiple countries globally
Intervention: Analysis of hearing healthcare workforce density and geographic distribution

Primary outcomes

Hearing healthcare workforce density by country; Geographic distribution of hearing healthcare professionals; Identification of capacity-development opportunities

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