STARKEY MARKS ‘BETTER HEARING MONTH’ WITH CALL FOR PROACTIVE HEARING CARE ACROSS MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

As the world observes Better Hearing Month this May, Starkey Middle East and Africa is reinforcing a message that is both urgent and deeply personal: hearing loss is one of the fastest-growing health challenges of our time, and early action is the single most important step anyone can take to protect it. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1.5 billion people worldwide currently live with some degree of hearing loss, of whom over 430 million have disabling hearing loss requiring rehabilitation. By 2050, that number is projected to rise to 2.5 billion, with over 700 million experiencing disabling levels. Unaddressed hearing loss already costs the global economy nearly US$1 trillion annually in lost productivity, healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life Giscard Bechara, Director, Starkey Middle East and Africa, said,

Better Hearing month is a moment to pause and ask a simple question – when was the last time you had your hearing checked? Most of us monitor our eyes, our teeth, our blood pressure. But hearing, which is fundamental to how we connect with the people and the world around us, is consistently overlooked. At Starkey, we believe hearing care should be part of every adult’s routine health check, not something people only think about when the damage is already done.

The challenge is particularly acute in the Middle East and Africa, where approximately 30 million people are affected by hearing loss and the prevalence stands at around 7.2% of the population. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, 40 million people live with hearing loss, and that figure is projected to reach 97 million by 2050. The WHO estimates that hearing aid provision in low- and middle-income countries covers just 3% of actual need.

The hidden cost of untreated hearing loss. The consequences of untreated hearing loss extend far beyond difficulty following conversations. A landmark 2024 update of The Lancet Commission on Dementia identified hearing loss as the single largest modifiable risk factor for dementia from mid-life, reinforcing a growing body of evidence linking untreated hearing loss to accelerated cognitive decline. A 2026 study published in Cell Stem Cell further established a causal relationship between hearing loss and cognitive decline, demonstrating through controlled laboratory research that auditory deprivation directly affects neurological function.

A generation at risk
The WHO estimates that over 1.1 billion young people aged 12 to 35 are at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices, including prolonged use of earphones and headphones at high volumes and attendance at loud entertainment venues. Research published in BMJ Global Health found that approximately 24% of young people using personal listening devices and 48% attending loud venues regularly exceed safe sound exposure levels.

In 2025, the WHO and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) jointly released a new global standard for safe listening in video gameplay and esports, reflecting rising concern that gaming environments represent an additional, underappreciated source of hearing damage, particularly among younger demographics.

“In our region, we have a young, connected population that spends hours every day with earphones in, often at volumes that would surprise them if measured. Add to that the ambient noise of our rapidly growing cities, loud social gatherings, and a cultural tendency to see hearing loss as something that only affects older people, and you have the conditions for a public health challenge that is building quietly but relentlessly,” said Giscard.

How modern technology is changing the hearing care conversation
For those already living with hearing loss, Starkey’s latest innovation, Omega AI, launched in October 2025 and now available across the Middle East and Africa, represents a significant leap forward. The platform’s DNN 360 Directionality system, the world’s first deep neural network-powered directional hearing system, continuously analyses the wearer’s sound environment and adapts in real time, delivering up to 28% improved speech intelligibility and up to an 8 dB improvement in signal-to-noise ratio compared to previous Starkey technology.

Omega AI also introduces industry-first health and wellness features through the My Starkey companion app, including automatic respiratory rate monitoring, guided balance exercises, fall detection with caregiver alerts, and TeleHear AI, a generative AI-powered tool that helps users troubleshoot hearing issues in real time with 93% predictive accuracy.

“This month, we encourage everyone in our region to take one meaningful step toward better hearing. Book a hearing evaluation. Talk to your children about safe listening. Ask your employer about noise exposure in the workplace. These are small actions that can have a profound impact on long-term health, relationships, and quality of life,” concluded Giscard.