Egypt’s Ministry of Health launched on Sunday President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s initiative to diagnose and treat newborns infected with hearing impairments nationwide as part of the “100 million healthy lives” initiative, said Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed.
Hearing impairment is a partial or total inability to hear and may occur in one or both ears. A deaf person has little to no hearing. Hearing problems can impact children’s ability to learn spoken languages. In adults, they can create difficulties with social interaction and at work.
Zayed clarified that the ministry will examine the three- to seven-day-old newborns in 1,300 health units nationwide to discover whether they are infected with hearing impairment or they are normal.
She said that the ministry trained 3,500 nurses nationwide on how to conduct a survey, use an audiometry device, and read and record the results.
Zayed asserted that the units will transfer individuals suspected to be impacted by the disease to hospitals for treatment free of charge.
She noted that the ministry distributed audiometry devices to 1,300 units nationwide.
Egypt launched the “100 million healthy lives” screening campaign in 2018, targeting people aged 19 to 59 for scanning through PCR tests. Those testing positive for the disease are expected to undergo further check-ups and will be provided free medication.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
