世衛組織：到2050年全球將有四分之一的人聽力受損

3月3日是國際愛耳日，世界衛生組織新發布的報告顯示，到2050年全球將有四分之一的人聽力受損。聽力健康，是時候該引起重視了。

Nearly 2.5 billion people worldwide ─ or 1 in 4 people ─ will be living with some degree of hearing loss by 2050, warns the World Health Organization's (WHO) first World Report on Hearing, released Tuesday. At least 700 million of these people will require access to ear and hearing care and other rehabilitation services unless action is taken.

世界衛生組織3月2日發佈的第一份全球聽力報告警告稱，到2050年全球將有近25億人（全球四分之一人口）出現某種程度的聽力受損，如果不採取行動，至少7億人將需要接受耳朵及聽力護理和其他康復服務。

"Our ability to hear is precious. Untreated hearing loss can have a devastating impact on people’s ability to communicate, to study and to earn a living. It can also impact on people’s mental health and their ability to sustain relationships," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

世界衛生組織總幹事譚德塞博士表示：“我們的聽力是寶貴的。聽力受損得不到治療會對人們的交流、學習和謀生能力造成破壞性的影響，還會影響人們的心理健康和維持人際關係的能力。”

The report, launched ahead of World Hearing Day on 3 March, underlines the need to rapidly step up efforts to prevent and address hearing loss by investing and expanding access to ear and hearing care services. Investment in ear and hearing care has been shown to be cost-effective: WHO calculates that governments can expect a return of nearly $16 for every $1 invested.

在3月3日國際愛耳日前一天發佈的這份報告強調了通過投資和普及耳朵及聽力保健服務來進一步防止和應對聽力受損問題的急切性和必要性。事實證明，投資耳朵及聽力保健服務是很合算的。據世界衛生組織估算，各國政府每投資1美元（約合人民幣6元），就能得到近16美元的回報。

Lack of accurate information and stigmatizing attitudes to ear diseases and hearing loss often limit people from accessing care for these conditions. Even among health-care providers, there’s often a shortage of knowledge about prevention, early identification and management of hearing loss and ear diseases, hampering their ability to provide the care required.

缺少相關準確信息以及對耳疾和聽力受損的恥辱感往往讓人們有病不就醫。即使是醫療服務人員也通常缺乏聽力受損及耳疾的預防、早期識別和管理方面的知識，從而阻礙他們爲患者提供所需服務。

In most countries, ear and hearing care is still not integrated into national health systems and accessing care services is challenging for those with ear diseases and hearing loss. Moreover, access to ear and hearing care is poorly measured and documented, and relevant indicators are lacking in the health information system.

在大多數國家，耳朵及聽力護理仍然未被併入國家衛生系統，患者難以獲取服務。此外，對耳朵及聽力護理的訪問情況沒有進行良好的測算和記錄，衛生信息系統也缺乏相關的指標。

But the most glaring gap in health system capacity is in human resources. Among low-income countries, about 78% have fewer than one ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist per million population; 93% have fewer than one audiologist per million; only 17% have one or more speech therapist per million; and 50% have one or more teacher for the deaf per million. This gap can be closed through integration of ear and hearing care into primary health care through strategies such as task sharing and training, outlined in the report.

但是衛生系統能力的最大缺口是人力資源。在低收入國家，約有78%的國家每100萬人口擁有不到一位耳鼻喉醫師；93%的國家每100萬人口擁有不到一位聽覺病矯治醫師；只有17%的國家每100萬人口擁有一位以上的語言治療師；50%的國家每100萬人口擁有一位以上聾人教師。報告指出，通過任務分擔和培訓等策略將耳朵及聽力護理併入初級衛生保健系統，這一缺口可以被填補。

In children, almost 60% of hearing loss can be prevented through measures such as immunization for prevention of rubella and meningitis, improved maternal and neonatal care, and screening for, and early management of, otitis media - inflammatory diseases of the middle ear. In adults, noise control, safe listening and surveillance of ototoxic medicines together with good ear hygiene can help maintain good hearing and reduce the potential for hearing loss.

在兒童方面，近60%的聽力受損可以通過接種風疹和腦膜炎疫苗、改善孕產婦和新生兒護理以及中耳炎的篩查和早期管理來預防。在成年人方面，噪音控制、安全用耳、對耳毒性藥物的監督以及良好的用耳衛生有助於保持良好的聽力，降低聽力受損的風險。

Identification is the first step in addressing hearing loss and related ear diseases. Clinical screening at strategic points in life ensure that any loss of hearing and ear diseases can be identified as early as possible.

識別是應對聽力受損和相關耳疾的第一步。在關鍵年齡段進行臨牀篩查以確保任何聽力受損和耳疾可以儘早被識別出來。

Once diagnosed, early intervention is key. Medical and surgical treatment can cure most ear diseases, potentially reversing the associated hearing loss. However, where hearing loss is irreversible, rehabilitation can ensure that those affected avoid the adverse consequences of hearing loss.

一旦確診，早期干預是關鍵。醫藥和外科手術可以治癒大多數耳疾，並可能逆轉相關的聽力下降。然而，如果聽力喪失不可逆轉，康復治療可以確保患者避免聽力喪失帶來的不良後果。

Hearing technology, such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, when accompanied by appropriate support services and rehabilitative therapy are effective and cost-effective and can benefit children and adults alike.

助聽器和人工電子耳蝸等輔聽技術，伴以適當的支持服務和康復理療，不僅有效而且性價比高，可以同樣造福兒童和成人。