Review article
Childhood hearing loss in sub-Saharan Africa: a review and recommendations

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-5876(97)01508-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Nearly 10% of the world's population lives in sub-Saharan Africa, a region comprised of many countries with least developed nation status. The region has a predominantly young population and many children in the region are at risk of pathologies associated with hearing loss. Despite the constraints associated with low socioeconomic levels, a number of valuable studies have been carried out into the prevalence and etiology of childhood hearing loss in the sub-Saharan region. A review of the published literature related to childhood hearing loss in sub-Saharan Africa is presented and recommendations made on possible future research directions that could assist hearing loss prevention and management.

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