Remi-Dairo launches foundation for ear defects

To assist people suffering from various hearing problems easily access financial and technical support for medical treatments, Kemi Remi-Dairo, chief executive officer of Events Expert and Krd Chef has launched a foundation for ear defects.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria’s prevalence rate for deafness is about 6.7 percent of the country’s total population. This means that 12.7 million Nigerians are deaf.

“Our mission is to create avenues that put a stop to the intense and high increase in hearing loss and ear problems in Africa. With the help of medical and surgical treatment and awareness on noise pollution we would be able to achieve this,” Remi-Dairo said.

“We are working with special team that consists of an otology surgeon, audiologists, a speech-language pathologist, an educational consultant, international NGOs and a psychologist both locally and international,” she said.

She stated that most research studies have shown that children with hearing challenge finds it difficult to perform well, saying it has kept them from being productive because of the long term isolation they suffer.

“The foundation will come up with different programs at intervals to help aid the lives of children suffering from ear defect better and also help in putting an end to their isolation,” she said.

Remi-Dairo highlighted major causes of deafness under congenital and acquired. She added that the impacts of hearing loss are functional, social and emotional as well as economical.

Globally, 466 million people have disabling hearing loss and 34 million of the population are children, according to WHO. The global health organisation also estimated global disabling hearing loss will reach 900 million people by 2050 and that children will account for 60 percent.

Speaking on the prevention of hearing loss, Remi-Dairo said through public health measures, individuals can prevent their ear defects and called for the immunisation of children against childhood diseases and practice of good hygiene by mothers as simple strategies for children hearing loss prevention.

Josephine Okojie