World Hearing Day March 3rd 2026
The Big Picture from the World Health Organisation
Every year on the 3rd of March — a date chosen because the number 3 itself resembles the shape of an ear — the World Health Organisation marks World Hearing Day with a global campaign to raise awareness of hearing loss and promote better ear and hearing care for all.
Since the first event in 2015, the WHO has used each successive campaign to build a powerful, interconnected narrative about one of the world’s most overlooked public health challenges. Here are the main themes that have emerged.
The Scale of the Problem is Staggering
The statistics alone make a compelling case for action. Over 1.5 billion people worldwide currently live with some degree of hearing loss, of whom around 430 million require rehabilitation. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 700 million — roughly one in every ten people on the planet. The economic cost of unaddressed hearing loss is estimated at over US$1 trillion globally each year. And critically, almost 80% of persons with hearing impairment reside in low- to middle-income countries, and most of them lack access to necessary interventions.
Prevention is Possible — But Awareness is the Key
A consistent message running through every WHO campaign is that a significant proportion of hearing loss is entirely preventable. At least 60% of childhood hearing loss, for example, could be avoided through appropriate public health measures. For adults and young people alike, WHO encourages everyone to take steps to protect their hearing from loud noises, check their hearing regularly, use hearing devices if needed, and support those who have hearing loss.
The growing risk to younger generations is of particular concern. More than 1 billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices — particularly from prolonged exposure to loud music through headphones, and high-volume gaming environments.
Changing Mindsets: The Central Challenge
The WHO’s campaign themes in recent years have converged on a powerful insight: the biggest barrier to better hearing health is not technology or resources alone — it is attitude. The 2024 and 2025 campaigns both focused on the need to challenge the stigma and misperceptions that surround hearing loss and hearing aids.
The theme for 2025, “Changing mindsets: Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all,” aimed to address common misperceptions and stigmatising mindsets surrounding hearing loss and ear diseases, and to invite people to empower themselves and take action on ear care and hearing loss prevention.
Too many people delay seeking help for years — often decades — because they associate hearing aids with old age, or because they feel embarrassed or in denial about their hearing difficulties. The WHO is clear that early intervention produces far better outcomes, and that modern hearing devices are more discreet and effective than ever before.
Empowering Individuals to Drive Change
A key strand of the WHO’s messaging is that individual action matters. When people take responsibility for their own hearing health — by getting tested, using hearing protection, and advocating for those around them — they become agents of wider social change. Empowered individuals can drive change within themselves and in society at large. This is not just about personal wellbeing; it is about building more inclusive, supportive communities for everyone living with hearing loss.
Looking to the Future: Children at the Heart
World Hearing Day 2026 highlights the theme “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children,” turning the spotlight onto the youngest and most vulnerable. Conditions such as otitis media (ear infections) and impacted ear wax remain common, preventable and treatable causes of hearing loss in children — yet they frequently go undiagnosed. Unaddressed hearing loss in childhood can impact speech development, learning, social skills and long-term employment prospects. The WHO is calling on governments and health systems to integrate systematic screening and early intervention into school and child health programmes.
What This Means for Us
As a charity supporting people with hearing loss across Surrey since 1947, the Guildford Hard of Hearing Support Group is proud to stand alongside the WHO’s mission. The themes running through World Hearing Day — prevention, early action, reducing stigma, and building inclusive communities — are the very principles that have guided our work for over seven decades. Whether you are beginning to notice changes in your hearing, supporting a loved one, or simply want to understand more, we are here to help.
World Hearing Day is marked every year on 3rd March. For more information and campaign resources, visit who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day