On March 3rd, the international community unites to celebrate World Hearing Day, a global initiative under the auspices of the World Health Organisation. Its main goal is to raise awareness of hearing protection, prevention, and support for people with hearing disorders. This year’s motto, “Changing the mindset: let’s make hearing and ear care an everyday habit!”, calls for global solidarity and action to improve hearing health worldwide. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s General Director, points out that hearing loss, often called an “invisible disability”, needs to stop being stigmatised for its treatment and prevention to be more successful.

Among all the inspiring stories honoured by the World Hearing Forum, there is the story of Joanna Białasz – a remarkable 17-year-old girl, whose life story proves that with adequate support, determination, and access to state-of-the-art technologies, one can overcome any barriers caused by hearing disorders. “Don’t give up, when you come across an obstacle, dream and make your dreams come true” – this is the motto figuring next to her story on the World Hearing Forum (https://worldhearingforum.org/joanna-bialasz/). Ever since she was a young girl, Joanna Białasz suffered from a deep hearing loss in both ears. Thanks to a cochlear implant implantation performed in 2008 at the World Hearing Centre by Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, she had new possibilities open. She’s active and passionate, and she’s following her dreams. As a student of a journalistic profile at a high school, she shows great interest in foreign languages, art, and culture. Her story shows how technology, specialistic help, community support, and personal determination can change lives. She’s a true ambassador of our achievements and a great example for other patients. In the context of this year’s World Hearing Day, Prof. Henryk Skarżynski, a prominent specialist in otolaryngology and hearing surgery, national consultant in otorhinolaryngology, and director of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, stresses the importance of the advances made in hearing treatment. He remarks that new hearing loss treatments are being developed both in Poland and around the world. They can give patients access to the newest technologies and the possibility to return to the world of sounds.

– For the last 21 years, we’ve been performing the most hearing-improving surgeries, and Polish patients at the World Hearing Center often have access to the newest technologies as the first in the world.

We keep on searching for new solutions and improving our skills, to help all the people with hearing disorders quit life in silence and gain a normal life – says Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, whose work in the World Hearing Center changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. He reminds us of the importance of early diagnosis and intervention. He also points out the link between hearing disorders and other health issues, such as depression, memory, and motor function disorders, as a way to emphasise the importance of a holistic and interdisciplinary approach to hearing treatment. Almost 50 percent of people over the age of 65 have various hearing problems, and for the age group over 70, the percentage rises to 75. – The statistics presented by the World Health Organisation are alarming – over 1.5 billion people from all over the world suffer from hearing disorders. This number is estimated to rise to 2.5 by the year 2050. These problems can often lead to exclusion – he warns. Thanks to the work of specialists such as Prof. Skarżyński and the life stories of people such as Joanna Białasz, World Hearing Day becomes an opportunity not only to educate and raise awareness but also to celebrate advancements in treatment and support of people with hearing disorders.

More information on the newest hearing treatment can be found on our website https://whc.ifps.org.pl/.