Australians Asked To Donate Old Hearing Aids

A Brisbane audiologist is spearheading a campaign for people to donate second-hand hearing aids to be sent to Cambodians with hearing loss.

Andrew Campbell first became involved with the clinic All Ears Cambodia while working in south-east Asia in 2012.

He later made several more trips to the clinic to participate in outreach programs and said the benefit to the community was enormous.

“Particularly for children it means they can attend a normal school and receive a proper education,” Mr Campbell said.

“For older people it means they can keep on working, as there’s no pension over there so many people are living in poverty and need to work to survive.”

Less than one per cent of Cambodians can afford hearing aids but the rate of hearing loss in the country is 30 per cent higher than western countries due to higher rates of infection and the lingering aftermath of war.

In addition, almost half of Cambodians affected by hearing loss are children.

Mr Campbell, who owns and runs audiology clinics in Brisbane and Melbourne, said many people had hearing aids they were no longer using, which could be put to great use in Cambodia.

“Around a third of people who have hearing aids don’t actually use them,” he said.

“Some people find them a challenge to get used to, while a big issue is the stigma around them, and some people haven’t come to terms with the identity aspect of wearing them.” Full story: The Age

Read more/donate: https://www.neuaudio.com.au/all-ears-cambodia