9.6pc population living with hearing impairments

About 9.6 per cent of the country’s population are living with hearing impairments of varying degrees, while 1.2 per cent suffering from the complete loss of hearing, according to a national survey published on Tuesday. The national survey was conducted by the Ear, Nose and Throat Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) with assistance from the World Health Organisation (WHO) from January to May in 2013. Medical experts at the launching of the survey report at a city hotel also noted that the rate of hearing impairment of people below 15 years of age in the country is 2.5 per cent higher than the South Asian average. They also noted that 50 per cent of the people living with hearing impairment can be cured by proper treatment, according to a news agency.