218 why children lose their hearing and what we can do
People can change the conditions that make children
lose their hearing
Ruk’s parents should
have visited the health
worker before he lost
his hearing.
Yes, but if the health worker
had come to the village and
taught everyone the causes
of deafness, they would have
known what to do.
If we could grow
more vegetables to
eat, the children
might not get sick
so much.
And if the medicines
were cheaper, they
might have gotten
them sooner.
Maybe the village could
organize a way to get sick
children to the hospital easily
when they need it.
There is power in communities working for change. Here are
some examples:
• People can organize local or national immunization campaigns
against common childhood illnesses. Health workers can use simple
health education materials with parents, children, teachers, and
others.
• Health workers, teachers, and child care workers can be trained to
recognize, treat, and prevent chronic ear infections and other causes
of hearing loss in children.
• People can demand that the government make affordable medicines
available to treat childhood illnesses, including ear infections, and
that pharmacies and clinics in their communities keep them in stock.
• People can also work together to remove the communication barriers
that make deafness a disability. They can learn sign language
themselves, and they can work to provide educational opportunities
for children who cannot hear well.
Improving the well-being of the whole community will help prevent and
heal many of the problems that cause hearing loss. When a country’s
wealth is shared for the good of all its people, everyone — men and
women, mothers and children — can have adequate health care, good
roads and communication to receive medical attention when needed,
and enough good food and clean water to help them grow strong and
stay healthy.
Helping Children Who Are Deaf (2004)