Hearing loss is common. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 278 million people have hearing impairment, and that at least two thirds of those people live in developing countries. The demand for hearing health care is increasing daily, as the population in developed countries ages and as generally populations grow. This presents a funding dilemma. Hearing aids in developing countries need to be affordable, but they also need to be good. How, collectively, are we going to get to the $30.00 hearing aid that is good quality? In the developed world we know that there are huge differences across the range for hearing aids.

In the developed world, prices of high quality hearing aids vary considerably now between different providers and different retail chains. We at Blamey Saunders have a direct to client model that helps keeps our prices low, but the prices are not low enough for the developing market. Indeed, the components cost a lot more than the $30.00 target. At the moment the answers are governments, philanthropy and recycling. If you have pre-loved hearing aids, send them to me, and I will pass them on. I can be found at our company address.