Inuit communities have some of the highest rates of hearing loss in Canada and throughout the world, particularly among Inuit children. Incidents of hearing loss can be traced to respiratory diseases, noise exposure such as shotguns and snowmobiles and repetitive middle ear infections. Undetected, even a mild hearing loss caused by a middle ear infection can delay the development of speech and language skills in children and impede their success in school. Tusaajuit won $500,000 to bridge the gap between educational and health care services by giving community members access to educational resources about hearing loss and facilitating access to hearing care. The project will also address the root causes of hearing loss by focusing on hearing loss prevention. It aims to reduce the long-term impacts of hearing loss and improve the well-being and social integration of hard-of-hearing individuals.
