Hearing impairment in Latin America: an inventory of limited options and resources

The availability of information about prevalence/incidence of hearing impairment in Latin American countries is very limited. A questionnaire on the subject was mailed to most Latin American and Caribbean countries. The information returned by 12 respondents (Argentina, Chile. Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Grenada, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Uruguay) was analyzed. Data are presented about available epidemiological studies on hearing impairment, national registers on deafness, publications on otitis media, and programs on hearing screening. Presence of training programs and available human resources in the broad field of hearing impairment is also discussed. Estimates of the enrollment of deaf children in schools for the deaf is also shown. This review concludes that hearing impairment is a low priority for national health systems in Latin America. material and human resources are limited, audiology services are scarce, and technology continues to be very costly by regional standards.