World Hearing Day is observed annually on March 3. This year’s theme is “From Communities to Classrooms: Hearing Care for Every Child.”
According to the World Health Organization, around 90 million children ages 5-19 years live with hearing loss. Sixty percent of childhood hearing loss is preventable through early identification, preventative care, and cost-effective health measures.
As a former early childhood education teacher, I taught many children who had disabilities, including hearing loss and deafness. My favorite activities were helping children develop communication and auditory skills.
Here are ways that World Hearing Day encourages all of us to support Hearing Care for Every Child:
- Preventing avoidable childhood hearing loss. This includes spreading the word about preventable hearing loss causes, such as exposure to loud noises with music, toys, and other environmental sounds.
- Ensuring early identification and care for children with ear or hearing problems. This is vital to preventing long-term impacts on childhood education, development, and future opportunities.
- Integrating hearing care into school health and child health programs. Doing so can support improved outcomes for children living with hearing loss or ear conditions.
Learn how to support hearing care for children in your communities at World Hearing Day 2026.
Image description:
A blue banner features illustrations of two children, one of whom is wearing headphones while running with a backpack. The second illustration features a child sitting at a desk and listening with ear buds. The banner includes this text: “From Communities to Classrooms: Hearing Care For Every Child. Act now so no child is left behind due to ear or hearing problems.” The World Health Organization logo is in the lower-left corner of the banner.
Lipreading Mom 