In the context of the “Sound and Policies” theme of the 2025 edition, hearing health is concerned in more ways than one, the first being the policy of environmental control in the face of increasing noise pollution, linked not only to levels but also to the electronic processing of sound. Hearing health itself is undergoing a transformation, with the imminent advent of genuine hearing therapies. If patients are to benefit, three policy areas will need to evolve: hearing prevention, screening for deficits, and precision audiology for the right choice of rehabilitation strategy, with the challenge of offsetting unfavourable demographic trends within the audiology professions.
These themes and their interactions will be the common thread running through the “hearing health” evening.
Part 3: Assessment of noise pollution
Pr Paul Avan, Head of CeRIAH (Human Audiology), IdA
