The WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum 2024, held from August 7-9 at the Esplanade Hotel by Rydges in Fremantle, brought together health professionals, researchers, and stakeholders to advance ear and hearing health in Western Australia.
The event featured success stories from Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), updates on the WA Child Ear Health Strategy, and discussions on the latest technological advancements, including digital tools and artificial intelligence in ear health.
Key sessions at the WA Ear and Hearing Health Forum 2024 included an insightful presentation by Matthew Lester and Raymond Christophers on the crucial role of environmental health in ear health outcomes. They emphasised how factors such as housing quality and access to clean water are directly linked to the prevalence of ear diseases in Aboriginal communities.
Additionally, the forum showcased advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) for otoscopy diagnosis, highlighting how AI-driven tools are improving the accuracy and speed of ear condition diagnoses, particularly in remote areas. Hearing Australia provided important updates on the “Listen to Learn” program, focusing on early hearing assessments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA) also shared updates on their ear health initiatives, including the development of new evaluation tools and the impact of their school-based ear screening programs.
AH&MRC’s participation highlighted our ongoing commitment to improving ear health outcomes and supporting effective health strategies across NSW and beyond.
