Lagos govt. screens 1,000 hearing-impaired children

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Prof. Akin Abayomi, officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, test over 1,000 hearing impaired children.

The Lagos State Government in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation, Hearmax Initiative, has provided hearing aids; an electronic device designed to improve hearing, to nine primary school pupils.

This is as part of efforts to reduce hearing impairment amongst school children, particularly pupils with educationally significant hearing loss

Earlier, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu requested a pilot study on the hearing impairment of over 1000 school children.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi noted that the pilot study is in recognition of the consequences of hearing impairment amongst school children, particularly the negative impact it has on academic performance.

In his words: “Hearing impairment amongst children most often continues undetected and eventually leads to perennial or permanent negative impacts on their academic performance.

“It is in recognition of the consequences of hearing impairment that the Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Health is collaborating with the Hearmax initiative to provide primary school pupils with hearing aids.

“So what we are doing in Lagos now, under Mr Governor’s instruction, is to set up a pilot study to go into our primary schools and to identify certain primary schools in each local government and screen the children in the school to see if we can pick up any children with hearing impairment.”

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The Commissioner explained that the pilot study on hearing impairment amongst pupils of primary schools involved the screening of 1,131 students in selected primary schools for hearing loss, adding that the screening provides an evaluation of the sensitivity of the student’s sense of hearing.

“Out of the 1,131 pupils that were screened, 676 pupils had a wax with foreign impaction while 14 pupils passed the confirmatory test for varying degrees of hearing loss, and nine of them were suitable for hearing aids.

“So we are here presenting the hearing aids to the affected pupils following relevant tests and confirmation of suitability”, Abayomi said.

While noting that good eyesight and hearing are essential for a child to achieve academic potential, the Commissioner noted that the Lagos State Government embarked on the initiative to improve the academic performance of pupils with hearing impairment by advancing hearing health amongst school children.

Abayomi stressed the need for hearing and sight impediments to be picked up and corrected early to forestall the negative impact they may have in the life of children, particularly in academics and social life.

“If you have a hearing impairment or sight impediment, then if it can be corrected, it needs to be corrected early and quickly, otherwise it will have a long-lasting impact on your life.

“So for children, when they are having a problem with hearing or seeing, it will obviously affect their academic performance. And if they drop back in class or lose confidence in their ability to learn, then it can affect them emotionally for the rest of their lives”, he said.

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