67 Million Indians suffering from deafness

Describing noise pollution as a 'menace contributing to hearing loss', Vice President Hamid Ansari said here Wednesday there is urgent need to control deafness from which about 67 million Indians are suffering. 'Deafness affects 6-7 percent of Indian population and is a major problem... In India, about 67 million people suffer from disabling hearing loss, which I understand can be prevented in 50 percent of the affected population and can be treated and rehabilitation undertaken in about 80 percent of the affected population,' Ansari said in his inaugural address at the 64th annual conference of the 'Association of Otolaryngologists (ENT specialists) of India' being held at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh State, the PTI reported. The Vice President called upon the ENT specialists to 'emulate the 'National Program for Prevention of Blindness' and initiate a 'National Program for Prevention and Control of Deafness' which was started as a pilot project five years ago in some parts of the country'. Describing noise pollution as a 'menace contributing to hearing loss', Ansari noted with concern, 'today we not only have to deal with environmental noise due to traffic or industry, but also recreational noise present in the form of i-pods, loud music etc.' He also pointed out that cancer of ear, nose and threat, needed 'urgent attention of the nation' as it had 'a much higher incidence in our country as compared to the West'. Drawing attention towards 'global tobacco epidemic' which killed '5.4 million people a year from lung cancer, heart disease and other illnesses,' Ansari said 'it is an irony that the vast majority of these deaths occur in developing world where rapidly growing economies offer people the hope of a better life'. 'You, as ENT surgeons, not only need to treat the cancer patients coming to you at an early stage but also educate the population regarding the factors responsible for the disease and how we can prevent it by avoiding smoking, chewing tobacco as well as by developing screening programmes to detect cancer and cancer-causing conditions at an early stage,' the Vice President said while concluding his speech. Otolarynglogists from various parts of the country as well as abroad are taking part in the four-day conference that is being held at the Moti Lal Nehru Medical College in Allahabad. 2160**2329