Experts' discussion: implications of the World Health Organization's World report on hearing for the cochlear implant field.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and expert commentary with no new empirical data
PubMed 39753046 · doi:10.1016/j.bjorl.2024.101556
What was done
Cochlear implant professionals conducted an expert narrative review and discussion analyzing the implications of the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2021 World Report on Hearing. The authors reviewed international examples to assess challenges and opportunities regarding disparities in access, reimbursement policies, and social stigma related to hearing loss.
What was found
The paper cites WHO projections that global hearing loss affects 1.5 billion people currently and will reach 2.5 billion by 2050. The discussion identifies key ongoing challenges in the cochlear implant field: unequal access to services (especially in low- and middle-income countries), widespread lack of reimbursement mechanisms, and persistent social stigma surrounding hearing loss. No original numerical data or primary statistical analyses were reported.
Why it matters
It highlights global structural and financial barriers to cochlear implantation and outlines advocacy priorities for ear and hearing healthcare policy.
Limits
This is an unsystematic narrative discussion and expert opinion piece without primary data collection, quantitative synthesis, or predefined systematic review methodology.