Hearing loss affects more than 1.5 billion people globally, with nearly 80% of disabling cases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite being the most established rehabilitation technology, fewer than 10% of those in need in LMICs possess them, with rates as low as 2% across Africa and Southeast Asia....
No actionable change for individual clinical practice; this review is a policy and systems-level resource for those involved in global hearing health advocacy or program design.
Scaling hearing aid access in low- and middle-income countries is the single largest lever for reducing the global burden of untreated hearing loss, making this review critical for policymakers and global health advocates.
- 01Nearly 80% of disabling hearing loss cases occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
- 02The review examines both the evidence base and real-world barriers to scaling hearing aid provision in LMICs.
- 03Published in Expert Review of Medical Devices.
- 04Addresses challenges such as affordability, infrastructure, trained workforce, and supply chains.
- 05Findings are primarily relevant to global health policy and program design, not direct clinical practice.
Nearly 80% of disabling hearing loss cases occur in low- and middle-income countries.
studysupported- PMID
- 42417600
- DOI
- 10.1080/17434440.2026.2701375.
- Journal
- Expert Review of Medical Devices
- Publication type
- review
- Evidence level
- 1a
- Population
- Populations in low- and middle-income countries with disabling hearing loss
- Intervention
- Hearing aid provision and scaling strategies
Primary outcomes
Evidence base for hearing aid provision in LMICs; Barriers and facilitators to scaling hearing aid access