Children's hearing health crucial for Golden Indonesia 2045: ministry
Siti Nadia Tarmizi, director for non-communicable disease prevention, said the theme of World Hearing Day 2026 — “From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children” — underscores the need for early detection and care.
She cautioned that untreated hearing problems can progress into permanent disabilities.
“A child’s growth and development is not complete if the child cannot hear, preventing them from understanding instructions from parents,” she said.
Hearing loss also disrupts language acquisition and comprehension. Children learn largely by imitation, she said, and language skills depend on the ability to hear and replicate sounds.
If left unaddressed, hearing impairment can hinder academic achievement, workplace productivity and social interaction, ultimately creating financial burdens for families and the state, she added.
Data from the ministry’s 2025 Free Health Checkup (CKG) program showed that of 18.6 million people aged seven and above screened, 1.8 percent had hearing problems. In 2026, about 4.1 million people have undergone screening, with around 51,000 — or 1.24 percent — found to have hearing issues.
Tarmizi said impacted earwax remains one of the most common causes of hearing problems. Lifestyle factors also increase the risk of hearing loss.
Many young people use earphones at high volumes, even in noisy places such as train stations, often without breaks. Some wear earphones to sleep and leave them on overnight.
Over time, she said, such habits force the ears to adapt to higher volumes, raising the risk of long-term damage and deafness.
Underlying health conditions, including hypertension and diabetes, may further worsen hearing impairment.
To address the issue, the ministry is expanding the CKG screening program to detect problems early and promoting safe listening through the “60-60 rule” — limiting volume to no more than 60 percent of maximum and taking a break after 60 minutes of earphone use.
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