Initiatives to combat global deafness with Robin Youngs

With ~6% of the world’s population currently living with hearing loss, deafness is the third most common disability in the world. To mark World Hearing Day on 3 March 2020, in this two-part series we spoke with Robin Youngs about his work over the past 30 years in combating global deafness.

In part two, Robin discusses his career and what sparked his interest in working in this field. Robin also outlines the various global initiatives underway to integrate deafness into health systems, helping to both prevent, treat and manage hearing loss and deafness.

Related videos:

Watch the first part of our companion interview ‘Burden of global deafness with Robin Youngs‘.

About the author:

Robin Youngs is a Consultant ENT Surgeon who has worked in Gloucestershire and Suffolk in the UK. He has a long-standing commitment to advancing the cause of deafness as a global health issue. He works for and is a Trustee of The Britain Nepal Otology Service and The Mandalay School for the Deaf Charity. He was the first lead for the ENTUK Global Health Committee. He was President of the Otology Section of The Royal Society of Medicine and Editor of The Journal of Laryngology and Otology. Robin currently has an honorary appointment at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine working with colleagues in The International Centre for Evidence in Disability on research and advocacy initiatives to combat global deafness.