Phonak supports World Hearing Day to raise awareness of childhood hearing loss
Staefa, Switzerland (March 2, 2016) - This year’s World Hearing Day, an annual initiative by the World Health Organization (WHO) held on 3 March, is dedicated to childhood hearing loss and aims to raise awareness about public health strategies to reduce the prevalence and impact of hearing impairment in children via early screening and detection as well as timely prevention and intervention.
Hearing ability is fundamentally important for children to develop spoken language skills to engage in social and academic activities. Any impairment that occurs during the crucial years for language and speech development can significantly affect a child’s communication development.
According to the WHO, nearly 32 million children live with hearing loss which is considered disabling. However, children whose hearing loss has been detected and treated within the first six months of life are on par in language development with their peers by age five.
“At Phonak, we strongly believe that a child is not a small adult. Over the last four decades, Phonak has been working closely with hearing care professionals, families, and children to develop a comprehensive and specific portfolio of hearing solutions to address hearing and communication needs of children from all age groups, said Angela Pelosi, Global Head of Pediatrics at Phonak.
“At Phonak, we continue to be committed to helping address the issue of childhood hearing loss. We deeply understand how life-changing maximizing hearing ability can be for children, and are dedicated to building innovative products and solutions to help them improve speech understanding, communicate more effectively, and ultimately enhance the quality of their lives.”
The Hear the World Foundation, a nonprofit, corporate social responsibility initiative of the Sonova Group, the parent company of Phonak, also supports the WHO’s World Hearing Day by raising awareness of the issue of hearing loss in children for parents all over the world.
Press Release: Phonak supports World Hearing Day to raise awareness of childhood hearing loss
About Phonak
Headquartered near Zurich, Switzerland, Phonak, a member of Sonova Group, has developed, produced and globally distributed state-of-the-art hearing systems and wireless devices for more than 60 years. The combination of expertise in hearing technology, mastery in acoustics and strong cooperation with hearing care professionals allows Phonak to significantly improve people’s hearing ability and speech understanding and therefore their quality of life.
Phonak offers a complete range of digital hearing instruments, along with complementary wireless communication systems. With a worldwide presence, Phonak drives innovation and sets new industry benchmarks regarding miniaturization and performance.
For more information, please visit www.phonak.com, www.phonakpro.com or contact:
Katherine Bart
Public Relations
Phone: +41 58 928 01 01
E-mail: katherine.bart@phonak.com
Phonak AG
Laubisrütistrasse 28
CH - 8712 Stäfa
Phone: +41 (0)58 928 01 01
Fax: +41 (0)58 928 20 11