One out of every three people worldwide older than the age of 65 has hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Emine Aydın from the University of Health Sciences in Turkey said hearing loss affects 360 million people globally and costs $750 billion, citing WHO figures to mark World Hearing Day on March 3.
"Chronic ear infections rank first among the leading causes of hearing loss," said the professor of ear, nose and throat disorders. The WHO cites 32 million children diagnosed with hearing loss.
"More than 5% of the world's population has a hearing impairment," she said.
Hearing loss can lead to language, speech, and emotional development disorders in infants and children, she said, and can lead to social and professional problems in adults and the elderly.
She went on to say that early interventions can prevent hearing loss.
Especially, early diagnosis and treatment for babies with hearing loss can ensure they achieve their full potential, she said.
With the newborn hearing screening program that is widely used in Turkey and all over the world, a cochlear implant or brainstem implant is performed according to the needs of babies with advanced hearing loss, and babies show similar development with their peers, she added.
