HOW WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Cochlear implantation is the most effective treatment for severe-to-profound hearing loss; and although it is expensive, it is highly cost-effective in the long-run when considering the financial costs of health-care, education support, lost productivity (unemployment), and societal costs of unaddressed hearing loss. For most people to afford a cochlear implant, they rely on medical aid, private fundraising, or charitable donations. Many people struggle to raise the necessary funds and this may lead to a delay in implantation, which in children, can mean they miss the critical period of language learning, with life-long negative consequences, and in adults, can result in losing their jobs due to their deafness, together with significant negative psychological consequences.

There are several challenges that need to be addressed to decrease the burden of disabling hearing loss in South Africa, and Hear Us is committed to helping with some of the socio-economic challenges in the Western Cape province, as well as advocacy for appropriate hearing healthcare in South Africa. Consequences of a lack of funding is that many excellent candidates for cochlear implants ultimately give up on the promise of a better life with hearing.