WorldHearing Day: 3 March 2026
Policybrief shows how South Africa can screen every newborn for hearing loss.
In theState of the Nation Address (SONA), the President reaffirmed South Africa’sfocus on the crucial first 1 000 days of a child’s life. If we’re serious aboutthat promise, we can’t keep missing one of the simplest, early interventions:universal newborn hearing screening.
A recently released policy brief by HoldMy Hand and Change Ideas, incollaboration with an Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Communityof Practice, titled: Everychild heard: Why South Africa must implement universal newborn hearingscreening now, sets out why this matters, why it’sachievable, and what needs to happen next. Each day approximately 17[1]infantsare born with permanent hearing loss, that is around 6 000[2]each year in South Africa.[3]
Yet fewer than 10% of newborns receivehearing screening and many children are only identified much later, often at20-30 months old, long after the window when early detection is essential forhealthy child development and overall public health. This is also much laterthen the World Health Organization’s guideline, which advocates for hearingscreening within the first month of life.
Prof De WetSwanepoel is Professor of Audiology at the University of Pretoria, a WHOCollaborating Centre for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Loss, stressesthat, “No childshould wait years for a condition that can be identified within hours afterbirth!” adding that “No caregiver should leave a facility without knowingwhether their baby’s hearing was checked and what to do next if there is aconcern.”
The recently adopted National Strategy toAccelerate Action for Children (NSAAC), recognises this. It lists newbornhearing screening as one of catalytic interventions that can accelerateprogress for children. Universal hearing screening is a practical “first 1 000days win” that can be built into routine maternal and child health services.
Inaction is expensive: the policy briefhighlights that the lifetime economic burden of one annual birth cohort ofunidentified infant hearing loss is estimated at R68.6 billion (about R1billion per year of life). The policy brief can be found on the Hold My Handwebsite: www.holdmyhand.org.za
“Toooften, the only children receiving support are those whose families cannavigate the system or pay privately,” says Dr Noxolo Gqada, Strategy Lead forthe Hold My Hand Accelerator for Children and Teens. “Every child deserves thechance to understand their name, sing a song, or laugh with their friends. Wewant to give children and families the right to choose, with full informationprovided, early enough to make a real difference.”
TheEHDI Community of Practice, working with Hold My Hand, is calling for SouthAfrica to move from patchy access to a clear national pathway that works forevery child:
This year’s theme for World Hearing Day (3 March2026): From communitiesto classrooms hearing care for all children, and this year, the Early HearingDetection and Intervention Community of Practice asks that we rethink the roleof the community in relation to hearing impairment. Classrooms are a naturalentry point to screen children, however parents, caregivers and the community remaincritical to early detection.
Director of HI Hopes and Associate Professorat the Centre for Deaf Studies at Wits University, Prof Claudine Storbeckreminds caregivers to trust their instinct, “the golden rule is, if in doubtfollow up, whether it is with your doctor, your paediatrician or healthcareworker. South Africa’s research shows that maternal suspicion is often ignored and would have led to diagnosisof infant hearing loss almost 1 year earlier," Storbeck added.
“World Hearing Day should not only raise awareness,”said Prof Swanepoel, “It should raise the standard. We have local evidence,workable community models and clear lessons on what improves uptake. We need toact on what we already know.”
Hold My Hand: Guided by the draft National Strategy toAccelerate Action for Children (NSAAC) which is led by the Presidency, the Hold My Hand campaign isa growing movement committed to putting children and teens at the heart ofchange. It calls on parents,caregivers and adults to walk alongside children and teens, to hold theirhands, listen to their truths, and act together to build a safer, fairer,stronger South Africa.
Early Hearing Detection andIntervention (EHDI) Community of Practice:
An open, collaborative networkbringing together stakeholders from across the care pathway to strengthen earlyhearing detection and intervention. Shared learning, coordinated action, andcontinuous improvement is fostered. All who play a role in the EHDI landscapeare welcomed and invited to participate, connect, exchange insights, andco-create solutions that advance accessible, equitable EHDI services for allchildren and families across South Africa.
Issued by Hold My Hand on behalf ofthe Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Community of Practice
Read the policy brief: Every child heard: Why South Africa must implement universalnewborn hearing screening: now available at holdmyhand.org.za
Join our EHDICommunity of Practice: LINK
[1] High Hopes Vision. https://www.hihopes.co.za/ accessed 27 May 2024.
[3] Swanepoel, DW, Störbeck, C & Friedland, P. 2009.Early hearing detection and intervention in South Africa. International Journalof Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 73(6):783–786. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijporl.2009.01.007.
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