Cochlear implants are not covered by health insurance and only 20 per cent of patients can find the money. Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, an epidemiologist working on the country’s Covid-19 response, said, having waited for a cochlear implant herself, she was excited for those on the waiting list.
JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF “Access to communication is not a nice-to-have. It’s essential for wellbeing, Kvalsvig said. “I don’t think many people understand the impact of losing your hearing on your sense of belonging, your sense of purpose, even your sense of identity. “It’s not just interactions with strangers of course – it’s your own family. I had no idea what my children’s voices sounded like.”
Wednesday, 3 March 2021, 5:32 pm
The New Zealand Audiological Society welcomes the launch
of the World Health Organisation’s World Report on
Hearing. This ground-breaking global report highlights the
substantial health issue presented by unaddressed hearing
loss. Hearing loss has enormous impacts on individuals and
communities and has strong correlations with poorer outcomes
of education, employment, social isolation and poorer health
and mental wellbeing.
Global projections indicate that
by 2050 nearly 2.5 billion people around the world will be
living with some degree of hearing loss and 700 million of
those will require treatment services. At the current rate
of prevalence, nearly $1 trillion is lost annually from
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