MEP Alex Agius Saliba has been appointed as Chairman of the Hearing Health Forum EU, a designated forum that raises awareness at an EU-level of the importance of hearing health as well as the cost of non-treatment for severe hearing loss. 

Following his first forum meeting with four key stakeholders – the European patient organisation, scientific, medical organisations and industry – the MEP stressed the importance of the right strategy to raise awareness of hearing loss disability at EU and national level.

During his opening speech addressing the Forum, the Labour MEP said “I would like to stress how COVID-19 tremendously affected the lives of persons with disabilities and especially, what impact it has on people with hearing loss. Persons with hearing loss often face the lack of quality communication support, insufficient inflow of timely information, reduced ability to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities as well as the problem of limited communication ability.”

He added that during a long period of confinement due to the pandemic, the role of sign language interpreters has proven crucial, “since many people with hearing loss live alone and isolated, and they need these professionals in order to live their basic lives.”

The MEP also stressed the importance of early detection of hearing loss and intervention in children, leading to “better access to education for hearing impaired children with a reduced burden on the education system itself, and a better quality of life for the child and the family.”