Community-based infant hearing screening: Outcomes of a rural pilot programme.

Background:  Community-based universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) has not been fully realised in South Africa despite the availability of contextually relevant early hearing detection and intervention guidelines. Research has confirmed the feasibility of implementing UNHS programmes in urban contexts; however, limited information exists for rural contexts.

Objectives:  The aim of the study was to describe the outcomes in terms of coverage rate, referral rate and follow-up rate of a 1-year UNHS pilot programme implemented at three primary health care (PHC) clinics in the Limpopo province.

Availability of resources for paediatric hearing care in a South African province.

Background:  Unavailability of healthcare resources can lead to poor patient outcomes. The latter is true for infants with hearing loss and require early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI).

Aim:  To determine the availability and distribution of resources for EHDI in state hospitals in the Eastern Cape (EC) province, South Africa.

Public awareness of audiology, hearing and hearing health in the Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Background: The burden of hearing loss is on the increase, especially in low-income countries such as South Africa. The need for urgent action to prevent ear and hearing problems is a priority, especially as in many cases permanent hearing loss is preventable. In South Africa, as in other developing countries, there is a limited number of hearing health professionals and audiological resources.