Cricket legend and Cochlear's first Global Hearing Ambassador, Brett Lee unveiled the Indian leg of the global initiative 'Sounds of Cricket' to spread awareness about the significant functional, social, emotional and economic impact of hearing loss on individuals and their families.
"I am delighted to be in India to help spread the message that if you have hearing loss there is technology that can help. I can't imagine cricket without sound: on the field not hearing the appeals and the crowd, off the field not hearing team mates, or at home not hearing family. I just can't imagine it", Brett Lee said while speaking at a press conference.
"That's why a cochlear implant is so important. It can change all of that. I've seen it happen. When people are 'switched on' for the first time, when they suddenly hear sound, you can see their sheer joy at being able to hear life. It is a wonderful, life changing moment.", he said.
"Unfortunately, there are multiple barriers to getting a cochlear implant. Many parents don't accept that their children have a hearing problem whilst others are not aware of the available treatment options. Hence my message to people in India is that hearing loss is not uncommon and that implant technology can help," he added.
The 2011 census highlighted hearing loss as the second most common cause of disability. Delay in the identification and treatment of congenital auditory impairment can profoundly affect the quality of life in terms of language acquisition, social and emotional development and education and employment prospects. Universal newborn hearing screening can help in early detection and suitable remedial action.
"Every year, 100,000 babies are born with hearing deficiency, there is clearly a need for a universal newborn hearing screening programme in India. Neonatal and infant hearing screening programmes can eventually improve the linguistic and educational outcomes for the child", said Padma Shri awardee Dr.Milind Kirtane, Senior ENT Surgeon,Hinduja Hospital, Mumbai.
"The importance of a screening programme is to provide effective treatment at the earliest opportunity, thereby reducing suffering due to the impairment. A cochlear implant is probably one of the best inventions in the recent history of medical science. It is the first device that can restore one of the five senses. I urge every parent to screen their newborn babies for hearing. I appeal to the paediatrician community in India to provide hearing screening with the same level of importance as vaccination," ;Dr. Kirtane further added.
On the occasion, Brett Lee also unveiled Cochlear India's Twitter handle (@)Cochlearlndia).Through this Twitter handle, Brett will share his journey and experience of interacting with Cochlear implant recipients.
The dedicated website (soundsofcricket.com) provides online hearing loss checklists and information on hearing loss and also enables to find the nearest hearing health professional.
Cochlear is the global leader in implantable hearing solutions. The company has a global workforce of 2,700 people and invests more than AUS $100 million a year in research and development. Products include hearing systems for cochlear, bone conduction and acoustic implants. Over 400,000 people of all ages, across more than 100 countries, now hear because of Cochlear.