Control and prevention of blindness and deafness | Events and meetings | The regional workshop for integrating and strengthening ear and hearing care within primary health care, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 20-21 December 2011

The regional workshop for integrating and strengthening ear and hearing care within primary health care, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 20-21 December 2011

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Participants of the workshop on integrating and strengthening ear and hearing care within primary health careThe WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean organized a regional workshop on integrating and strengthening ear and hearing care within primary health care, from 20 to 21 December 2011 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The workshop was organized in collaboration with King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

assess the current situation of ear and hearing care services, especially in primary health care

strengthen the ear and hearing care programme in the health care system

establish a training programme for primary health care workers on ear and hearing impairment

establish early detection of hearing loss by encouraging screening programme

Summary_report

Statistics and figures

  • Over 23 million people are visually impaired in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, of whom 5 million people are blind
  • 80% of blindness is avoidable (treatable and/or preventable)
  • 90% of blind people live in developing countries
  • About 200 000 children are blind