By Prof Dr Suneela Garg and Dr K Madan Gopal
On 3 March 2026, the world will observe World Hearing Day with the theme “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children”. The theme is a reminder that a child cannot learn well if they cannot hear well, and that hearing loss often remains invisible until it starts showing up as delayed speech, poor attention in class, and falling learning outcomes.
The public health message is straightforward. We must do two things at scale: prevent avoidable hearing loss, and diagnose and manage ear and hearing problems early, especially around birth, in infancy, and at school entry.
The scale is bigger than most people think
WHO notes that around 90 million children aged 5–19 years live with hearing loss, and that over 60% of childhood hearing loss is preventable through simple, cost-effective public health measures. Globally, the WHO also estimates that about 34 million children have deafness or hearing loss.
In India, the WHO has estimated that approximately 63 million people live with significant auditory impairment. Evidence reviews from Indian studies show that hearing loss in children varies widely across settings, and recurrent ear infections (otitis media) remain an important and preventable contributor.
This matters because hearing loss in childhood not only affects the ear. If it remains unaddressed, it affects speech and language development, classroom participation, learning, behaviour, and future opportunities.
Two priorities: prevent avoidable loss, and find problems early
WHO has placed two imperatives at the centre of the 2026 campaign: preventing avoidable childhood hearing loss, and ensuring early identification and appropriate care for children with ear and hearing problems. These priorities fit India’s needs well because risk often begins before birth, increases around delivery, and continues through infancy and early school years.
Prevention starts in pregnancy, during delivery, and in the newborn period
Many causes of hearing loss in children can be avoided by strengthening routine maternal and child health care, especially in the perinatal and early postnatal period.
Prevention includes full immunisation, good maternal and newborn care, and early identification and management of common ear conditions.
In practical terms, hearing protection begins with timely antenatal care (including prevention and management of maternal infections), safe delivery and newborn care (especially for preterm babies and those with birth complications or severe jaundice), and prompt treatment of childhood infections. It also requires rational use of medicines because some medicines can be ototoxic (harmful to hearing), and simple counselling on safe listening as children grow and start using earphones.
Early diagnosis: the missed window is the real tragedy
Prevention is essential, but early diagnosis offers hope. Many children benefit from timely intervention, motivating providers and policymakers to act promptly.
What parents and teachers should watch for
A child may need a hearing check if there is delayed speech or unclear speech for age; the child does not respond to name or repeatedly asks “what?”; poor attention in class or falling grades; recurrent ear pain or discharge; frequent colds with blocked ears; or unusually high headphone volume. These signs do not confirm hearing loss, but they are strong reasons to get a basic ear examination and hearing test early.
Communities and schools are the best entry points.
WHO is clear that communities and classrooms are natural entry points to reach children, parents, and teachers. Integrating hearing care into child health and school health platforms can help children “hear, learn, and succeed”, provided screening is linked to confirmatory testing, referral, and follow-up.
India already has multiple programmes that can operationalise this theme. Under the National Health Mission, the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness (NPPCD) focuses on prevention, early identification and rehabilitative services.
Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) screens children from birth to 18 years for selected health conditions and links them to free management, with District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) intended to provide early confirmation and intervention support.
The Ayushman Bharat School Health & Wellness Programme adds a strong education-sector platform: two teachers in every school are trained as Health and Wellness Ambassadors, creating a ready channel for awareness, early identification, parent
communication, stigma reduction, and referrals. For children who need assistive devices and advanced care, convergence with disability support mechanisms such as ADIP can strengthen access to appropriate hearing technologies and cochlear implant pathways where indicated.
The remaining challenge is not the absence of programmes, but overcoming barriers like limited screening coverage, referral pathways, affordable devices, and audiology services, especially in underserved and high-burden areas. Addressing these gaps requires targeted strategies and community engagement.
Early management changes a child’s life course
Once identified, hearing loss should be addressed early with the right mix of hearing technologies (hearing aids and, for selected cases, cochlear implants), speech and language therapy, classroom support and assistive technologies, and family counselling. This is not special care for a few children. It is a basic investment in learning, inclusion, and long-term productivity.
A simple call to action for World Hearing Day 2026
For families: seek early checks if speech is delayed, if ear infections recur, or if the child is not responding to everyday sounds.
For schools: normalise hearing checks (like vision checks), reduce stigma, ensure seating and classroom acoustics support children with hearing difficulties, and use the School Health & Wellness platform to connect families to services.
For health services: make hearing screening and referral routine within maternal, newborn and child health services and within school health activities, and strengthen district pathways for confirmatory testing and early intervention.
World Hearing Day 2026 reminds us that collective action can prevent hearing loss from limiting a child’s future. Our shared efforts can make a difference now.
(Views expressed are personal.)
Prof Dr Suneela Garg is Professor of Excellence, NAMS, MAMC, and Ex-Head (Community Medicine) and Sub-Dean, MAMC & Associated Hospitals, New Delhi.
Dr K Madan Gopal is a Senior Health Sector Expert, has worked at NITI Aayog, and is currently Advisor, Public Health Administration Division, National Health Systems Resource Centre, New Delhi.