Hearing and Speech Rehabilitation
Vision 2020 calls for all citizens to have equal opportunities in achieving their potential. This includes quality health care which caters to all and an education system that is tailored to meet the needs of the society. It is within this framework that a multi-disciplinary effort is being developed which supports the establishment of a newborn screening program, a diagnostic center, a cochlear implant program, a family center, and a public awareness campaign focused on early childhood hearing loss prevention and detection. In addition, professional and para-professional training in audiology and audiologic diagnosis and hearing aid services will also be established.
Specifically service models are being reviewed for:
- early detection of hearing loss in newborns through universal newborn hearing screening (UNBHS)
- the early and comprehensive diagnosis of hearing loss in children
- the initiation of amplification by 6 months of age
- the provision of robust auditory/verbal and language rehabilitation therapy
- the provision of cochlear implant services to appropriate candidates
- transition to mainstream education with support.
These services will be developed against the backdrop of improved capacity to operate these new systems and leadership in generating a sustainable tradition of excellence in the management of childhood hearing loss. Further, the assessment of service quality and effectiveness as a guide for program development and refinement will be an integral component, as well as the integration of research efforts which ultimately promote language development in children, promote the preservation of hearing health, and deliver a full range of hearing rehabilitation options for adults.
This programme also builds on a 2005 consensus agreement by the Caribbean Association of Otolaryngologists to develop a regional collaboration to address paediatric hearing loss and impairment – the ultimate goal being the establishment of a Centre of Excellence to comprehensively address regional needs in this area. | 
