Asia Pacific Hybrid Symposium on Recent Advances in Ear and Hearing Care
The Inaugural Asia Pacific Hybrid Symposium: Recent Advances in Ear and Hearing Care recently held at Science Gallery Melbourne, brought together experts and stakeholders from across the region to discuss the growing issue of hearing loss.
Professor Michael Wesley opened the event which brought together a diverse array of ear and hearing care stakeholders, including Dr Shelly Chadha from the WHO. Dr Shelly Chadha emphasised the need for innovation in technology and integration of services into healthcare system
The Symposium, led by Dr Chris Waterworth and supported by the Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology and the Nossal Institute for Global Health, brought together multidisciplinary experts. Professors Sumit Kane and Cathy Vaughan from the Nossal Institute discussed the importance of addressing workforce challenges and integrating hearing services at all levels of care, advocating for task shifting and task sharing in countries with limited healthcare professionals. They stressed the importance of maintaining effectiveness through robust supervisory structures, supportive guidance, and political will for resource allocation. This work highlights the Nossal’s impact in applying a systems level strengthening lens to address major public health problems such as ear disease and hearing loss
Speakers from across the region including India, Indonesia, China, Taiwan, Macau, Pakistan, the Philippines, Fiji, Tonga and other Pacific Islands, described the importance of collaboration in addressing ear and hearing health issues. Proactive approaches were strongly advocated for, emphasising the development of cost-effective care models, extending the role of primary healthcare workers through task-sharing/shifting approaches, and investing in training programs to build a skilled workforce at all levels of the health system.
A special thanks to all participants and speakers, with special thanks to the organising team, Dr Chris Waterworth and the HEARglobe student advocacy group, for their invaluable contributions. As we look ahead, the collective efforts will continue to work towards making ear and hearing health accessible to all.
Dr Chris Waterworth is a technical advisor at the Nossal Institute for Global Health and Lecturer at the Department of Audiology & Speech Pathology, School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne.