A review of the current situation and forecast of hearing loss worldwide

Abstract

This study was conducted with the aim of reviewing the current situation and forecast of hearing loss worldwide. The overview method was used to search documents in the databases Pubmed, Medline, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Google related to the situation of hearing loss, hearing loss, deafness and the predicting of this situation
globally. The results show that an estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide have varying degrees of hearing loss, of which 430 million have moderate or more severe hearing loss. The prevalence of hearing loss ranges from 3.1% in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to 7.1% in the Western Pacific Region (according to WHO classification). It is predicted thatby 2050, there will be 2.5 billion people with mild or more severe hearing loss. Of these 2.5 billion people, 700 million will have moderate or more severe hearing loss. Thus, by 2050, 1 in 4 people will have some degree of hearing loss, and 1 in 14 people (at least 7%) will need audiological care. In conclusion, the review
results demonstrate that hearing loss is an important public health problem globally, both currently and in the future.