March 3 marks World Hearing Day 2025, and this year’s campaign emphasizes breaking stereotypes and making hearing health care part of everyday life. The theme, "Overcome Stereotypes," urges individuals to take proactive steps toward preserving hearing health throughout their lives. With the aim of promoting awareness, the World Health Organization (WHO) is leading several initiatives to drive real change.
One of the significant initiatives includes the introduction of educational programs, such as school modules on preventing hearing loss during audio consumption. These educational materials are set to be included in curricula globally, fostering recognition of hearing health among children and teenagers from early on. Recognizing the importance of community engagement, WHO is calling on member states, partners, and stakeholders to organize awareness-raising activities during the World Hearing Day campaign.
"Together, we can make hearing health part of everyone's life," said Dr. Jérôme Salomon, WHO’s Assistant Director-General. Registering your events not only highlights local efforts but also brings them to global attention, contributing to a broader conversation about hearing health and its relevance.
WHOD is also launching the first global standard, developed with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), aimed at protecting gamers from hearing loss associated with excessive noise exposure during gaming. Dr. Salomon stated, "Today, every person can develop habits to help preserve their hearing for life," reiterates the urgent need for safe listening practices among the gaming community.
Video games and esports have rapidly transformed the entertainment industry, with nearly three billion people engaging with games on various platforms. Despite this growth, most gaming devices do not yet incorporate features for safe listening, leaving users vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss. "Excessive loudness during gaming can lead to irreversible hearing loss," warns Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU’s Standardization Bureau.
The newly introduced standards aim to provide gamers with necessary information about the risks associated with loud sound levels and create strategies for safe listening. This includes systems to alert users to their sound exposure levels during gaming and reminders about the importance of adjusting volume settings. The guidance encourages developers to incorporate safe listening features across all gaming devices and software.
Recommendations outlined include:
- Features to measure users’ sound exposure and alert them when they approach the threshold of safe listening levels.
- Implementing adjustable volume controls on games, allowing users to balance sound components effectively.
- Establishing safeguards for audio output through headphones, engaging settings to automatically adjust volume when switching from headphones to external speakers.
Aside from devices, the software recommendations include issuing alerts about potential hearing risks, thereby fostering awareness of safe listening habits. A significant element involves creating gamer-focused content to help players enjoy games without the threat of hearing loss. This initiative, under the broader WHO campaign "Don’t Put Your Hearing at Risk!", aims to promote healthier audio habits, particularly among youth.
With this year’s World Hearing Day focusing on these developments, WHO encourages stakeholders globally to engage actively with the community to mitigate the risk factors leading to hearing loss. The new global standard was created with the latest evidence and consultations with various stakeholders, including industry experts, consumer groups, and government officials.
For more information about World Hearing Day 2025 and the 'Don't Put Your Hearing at Risk!' initiative, visit the WHO website at WHO World Hearing Day 2025.
The drive for awareness highlights WHO’s commitment to health equity, aiming to provide every individual the opportunity for a healthy and safe lifestyle regardless of geographical constraints. With the effective implementation of these initiatives, the hope to see substantial reduction rates of hearing impairment globally by making hearing health care accessible is real.
Sections of the global community now rally around the importance of hearing health—an aspect often overlooked. According to WHO, engaging youth through educational and interactive channels will not only make them aware but also empower them to advocate for their own hearing health. "Action starts with awareness; let’s take it to heart this World Hearing Day," added Dr. Salomon.