RESUMO
Of the estimated 250 million people around the world who have hearing loss and could benefit from having a hearing aid, two-thirds of them live in developing countries. In adults hearing loss affects their ability to obtain, perform, and keep a job. Throughout life, hearing loss causes people to be isolated and stigmatized. And while hearing loss is generally associated with aging, people in the developing world are more susceptible to this problem at a young age. Hearing loss in children affects language formation and cognitive and social development, and it can lead to lifelong disability. In spite of the pressing needs in the developing world, the supply of hearing aids fall far short of the demand. Of the hearing aids that are manufactured in the world, only a tiny proportion of them end up going to developing countries-only about one out of every eight units produced. Further, there is a major shortage of services in developing countries to fir hearing aids correctly, and with very few trained personnel to help that process. In response to this situation, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken a number of steps. For example, representatives at a 1998 workshop organized by WHO and the Christian Blind Mission recommended that a small working group draw up guidelines for requirements for hearing aids and their accesories and services so that they would be appropriate and affordable for developing countries (AU)
