Alarming Number of First Nations Children Suffer from Ear Problems

Over a quarter of children have undiagnosed ear disease and one-in-five undiagnosed hearing loss: those are findings of Hearing Australia’s recent analysis of hearing assessments of 19,000 First Nations children.

Children under two and living in very remote locations have more hearing problems than their peers living in metro areas. Source: Supplied

Children under two and living in very remote locations have more problems than their peers living in metro areas.

However, headway is being made, and Hearing Australia is now urging greater action: from the health system, service providers, practitioners, and parents/caregivers.

What can reverse the situation for First Nation’s children are regular hearing checks and awareness of the issue: when and where to seek help, as well as accessibility of the service.

Hearing Australia’s aim is to reduce the preventable hearing loss in First Nations children by at least 50% by 2029.

Yorta Yorta woman Kirralee Cross, from Hearing Australia’s First Nations Services Unit talked to NITV Radio about the situation.