Estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that 466 million people have some type of hearing impairment. Of these, 34 million are in the 0-15 age group. Even with such alarming numbers, about 60% of these hearing impairments would be possible to prevent with the diagnosis in time.

To propose best hearing health practices for school-age children, there is the Coalition for Global Hearing Health working group, coordinated by the professor and the University of Illinois, United States, King Chung, who, last week, invited LAIS / UFRN researcher, professor Sheila Andreoli Balen, to join the group.

The objective of this nonprofit body is to improve hearing health and the lives of deaf or hearing impaired people, especially those in low and middle income communities, through the defense of appropriate and relevant public policies around the world, from the definition good practices and dissemination of resources, as well as in the education and training of professionals, family members and community members. The current body, directly, in partnership with different actions and activities of the World Health Organization.

Hearing quality and auditory accessibility in the school context can determine good learning processes or generate difficulties in this process, being behind school difficulties, failures and school dropout.

Brazil since 2007 has an Interministerial Policy involving the Ministry of Health and Education in the School Health Program (PSE) and one of the goals of this program refers to the student’s hearing health, which aims to carry out actions to promote hearing health and identify students with possible signs of change