Let every child hear, learn and thrive this World Hearing Day 2026

On 3 March, the world marks World Hearing Day 2026 with a clear and urgent message: act now so no child is left behind due to ear or hearing problems.

Around 90 million children and adolescents aged 5–19 years are living with hearing loss globally, according to the World Report on Hearing and the Global Burden of Disease Study. Yet in many settings, particularly in low-resource communities, hearing difficulties remain undetected and untreated.

The tragedy is that much of this burden is preventable. More than 60% of childhood hearing loss can be avoided through simple, cost-effective public health measures. Common conditions such as otitis media with effusion, chronic suppurative otitis media and impacted earwax continue to affect millions of children. Left unaddressed, hearing loss can silently worsen over time.

Untreated hearing loss does not only affect a child’s ability to hear. It can disrupt speech and language development, hinder learning, affect social interaction, and ultimately shape educational achievement and future employment opportunities.

This year’s theme, “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children”, calls for two key actions: preventing avoidable hearing loss and ensuring early identification and timely care. Integrating systematic screening and early intervention into school and child health programmes can transform outcomes.

Every child deserves the chance to hear clearly, participate fully in class, and reach their potential. The time to act is now.

Source: World Health Organisation