Preventable ear disease twice as common in remote First Nations children

Experts recommend that young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have ear health checks every six months. Image: Hearing Australia. One in two First Nations children aged 0-6 in remote and very remote locations are likely to have middle ear disease – double the rate of First Nations children in metropolitan, regional and rural areas....

Practitioners serving remote First Nations communities should follow the recommended six-monthly ear health check schedule for children aged 0–6; no change is indicated for practitioners outside these communities based on this release alone.

The stark disparity in middle ear disease rates highlights a critical equity gap in Australian paediatric hearing health that demands targeted screening and service-delivery solutions for remote communities.

1. 011 in 2 First Nations children aged 0–6 in remote/very remote Australia have middle ear disease.
2. 02This prevalence is double the rate seen in the general Australian paediatric population.
3. 03Experts recommend six-monthly ear health checks for children in affected communities.
4. 04The condition is described as preventable, suggesting systemic and environmental factors are at play.
5. 05Unaddressed middle ear disease in young children can impair language development and school readiness.