Minister of Health Stresses Importance of Early Detection in Hearing Problems

Bandar Seri Begawan: Early care and detection of hearing problems is very important. It can not only help the recovery process more quickly, but also reduce the risk of further complications, such as permanent hearing loss that may be caused by a lack of attention to good ear care. The matter was emphasised by the Minister of Health, in a message in conjunction with World Hearing Day 2025.

According to Radio Television Brunei, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Doctor Awang Haji Mohammad Isham bin Haji Jaafar highlighted that in Brunei Darussalam, 1,263 patients were newly diagnosed with hearing loss in 2024. Of that number, 468 patients have been identified to receive treatment with hearing aids. The Audiology Unit at Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha Hospital has reported a significant increase in the number of newly diagnosed patients with hearing loss compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, the Infant Hearing Screening Programme at Suri Seri Begawan Hospital Kuala Belait has also shown an increase in the number of newborn infants found to have hearing problems.

In conjunction with World Hearing Day 2025, the World Health Organization emphasizes two main messages. First, more than one billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing loss due to prolonged exposure to loud noise during activities such as listening to music and playing video games. Second, how we hear in the future depends on how we take care of our ears today, as many cases of hearing loss can be prevented by practising safe hearing and proper hearing care.

World Hearing Day is celebrated every year on the 3rd of March to raise public awareness of the importance of ear and hearing care. This year’s celebration carries the theme ‘Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!’ World Hearing Day is a call to action for all of us to collectively empower ourselves to make ear and hearing care a reality for all.