Hear Africa! Improving Language Development, Education, and Participation of Children with Severe Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Tanzania

authored by: Ulrike Lüdtke, Angelika Illg, Louisa Johanningmeier, Enica Richard, Reema Ruparellia, Lars Rumberg, Jörn Ostermann, Thomas Lenarz, Anke Lesinski-Schiedat
Abstract: Background: In Minority World countries, up to 5 in every 1000 newborns are congenitally affected by hearing impairment. Due to the physiologically irretrievable loss of maturation in untreated hearing impairment in early childhood, language development fails to take place, and serious consequences occur. Thus, the participative and educational opportunities of the affected child are minimized. An interdisciplinary approach, including special needs education, otorhinolaryngology, speech–language therapy (SLT), and information technology (IT), is necessary to face the challenges of delayed social, cognitive, and emotional development by implementing diagnosis and treatment of infant sensorineural hearing loss in Tanzania. This interdisciplinary project aims to implement an early diagnostic approach in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to detect and treat infant hearing impairment. Methodology: A multi-centered cross-method project to improve educational and participation opportunities of children with severe sensorineural hearing loss is described. As a first step, universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) was implemented and monitored in a clinical context in Tanzania. Telemedical applications will be adopted with the provision of hearing aids and cochlear implants (CI). Additional training of speech–language therapists (SLTs), audiologists, and other field-related professionals in hearing impairment will take place in a digital, transnational way. Results: UNHS was successfully implemented at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which provided the first audiological and UNHS training of trainers and screeners. The obtained data were evaluated concerning prevalence, risk factors, and comorbidities of newborn hearing impairment. As the next step, more screenings will be conducted and informational material will be developed. The focus will be on materials for the support and education of hearing-impaired young children because they can benefit most from early diagnosis as well as further treatment, for example, technical devices such as hearing aids or CI. Discussion: This multi-centered study enables the first epidemiological assessment of childhood sensorineural hearing impairment in Tanzania. Alongside pedagogical and medical-therapeutic measures, this study increases the future educational and participation chances of hearing-impaired children in Tanzania.
Organisation(s): Institute of Education for Special Needs
Institute of Information Processing
External Organisation(s): Hannover Medical School (MHH)
Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences
Type: Contribution to book/anthology
Pages: 343–365
No. of pages: 23
Publication date: 04.02.2023
Publication status: Published
ASJC Scopus subject areas: General Medicine, General Psychology
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04504-2_16 (Access: Closed)