SAM HARKUS Principal Audiologist, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services, Hearing Australia
New research shows kids’ ear and hearing health is an urgent priority For the majority of Australian children who
type of middle ear condition and will experience
experience it, otitis media or middle ear infection is
middle ear disease over 10 times longer than non-
a painful but relatively short-term condition, happily
Indigenous children.1 More children experience
unlikely to impact children’s long term listening and
the severest forms, at rates the World Health
communication skills development.
Organization call ‘a massive public health problem
However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
requiring urgent attention’.2 Persistent otitis media
children have a significantly different experience of
is not confined to remote communities however,
middle ear disease than non-Indigenous Australian
almost half of a group of Aboriginal babies in an
children. They tend to acquire ear disease earlier,
ongoing Perth study had developed middle ear
as young as six weeks old. It’s often without obvious
infection by the age of six months.3
signs. It’s more prevalent and more likely to become
When otitis media presents like this, it impacts
chronic: one in three children will have at least one
development and life trajectories. It often persists
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The Health Advocate • AUGUST 2021
