Hearing Screening Considerations For Implementation

Hearing screening: considerations for implementation

Vision and hearing screening for school-age children

The substantial overlap between vision and hearing impairment prevalence presents a strong rationale for implementing combined screening programmes. A joint approach could facilitate widespread screening particularly in low- and middle-income countries that have limited resources. The Vision and hearing screening for school age children: implementation handbook provides practical information to support personnel tasked with planning and implementation. It outlines the equipment and human resources required for screening school-age children, as well as steps for referral, follow-up and management. It is not designed to be a training manual. Training content (online modules) can be accessed via Learning on TAP. Supporting documents, such as templates for consent forms and screen forms, as well as health promotion materials, are provided in the Annexes.

Integrating the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and sexual and reproductive health programmes

In 2011, heads of state and government at the United Nations General Assembly formally acknowledged that NCDs are one of the major challenges to development and committed to integrate NCD prevention and control into other programmes, such as for HIV and broader maternal and child health programmes, especially in PHC. The commitment to integrate NCDs into existing disease programmes was reaffirmed again through its NCD resolutions at its Third High-level Meeting in 2018. This guidance outlines strategic actions and practical solutions in response to the challenges of integration of NCDs, as appropriate and relevant to the country context. The objective is to maximize the impact of health services and extend access to NCD care. The target readership is policymakers, programme managers and health providers. The guidance should also be useful for WHO and international partners (including donors and banks) that champion integrated support for NCD service delivery in countries and better management.