Since 2001, CUBEX has supported BRINOS help thousands of Nepalis achieve better hearing. Adam Shulberg, Senior Audiologist and MD of Cubex initiated the audiology programme and is responsible for facilitating, training and supervising seven Community Ear workers (CEA’s) and over 700 volunteers.

The provision of hearing aids and appropriate counselling is a vital step in the help that can be offered to hard of hearing and deaf people. Under the co-ordination of a team of CEA’s and Cubex (UK) an Audiology programme is now running in Western Nepal and offers a sustainable hearing care service. In developing countries this presents many difficulties, hearing aids are sophisticated devices which require batteries and maintenance. Each hearing aid has to be fitted individually with a well fitting ear mould, verified and the patient and their family then require counselling and training. By training the Primary Ear Care workers in hearing aid fitting maintenance and counselling, Adam has established a fully sustainable hearing care service.

On their latest trip Adam Shulberg and Jerusha Shulberg (Senior Audiologist and training coordinator) initiated a schools/community screening program and introduced digital hearing instruments to the Himalayas for the first time. The Primary Ear Care workers have now been trained in early intervention screening,otoscopy, tymp anometry, audiometry, hearing aid fitting and maintenance and making appropriate referrals to the ear surgery camp. A small ear mould production facility is also in place, where custom moulds can be made for individuals with severe hearing loss.

“Our last trip was very much about education. Previous visits had been challenging, with only one audiologist having to supervise and attend to over 20 patients per day. With 2 of us we were able to spend much more time teaching, providing quality support and educational materials to ensure a transfer of skills so the work can continue in our absence. Over the last 9 years that I have been involved in this project, we have taken it from zero provision to where we are today with an enthusiastic and proficient local team, providing accurate hearing tests; appropriate hearing aid selection; computerised fittings of analogue and digital hearing instruments with verification and earmould manufacture. We are now also able to provide hearing aid servicing; rehabilitation; educational tools for filtering and transferring skills; paediatric screening and most importantly - Sustainability” says Mr Shulberg. 

Adam continues “it was always my aim to provide a fully sustainable program; that is the key. Nepali’s are proud people and their only wish is to be independent. All they need now are the “tools” to continue this work. Educating and supporting the Nepal based team has been a great source of pleasure, reward and joy for me and I look forward to meeting our aims and objectives” 

The charity is currently meeting the needs of nearly a million people. The  help received so far has made an enormous impact on the lives of less fortunate hearing impaired people, many of whom are now able to hear for the first time. Adam would like to thank all those who’ve been  supporting the project so far, and to ask you to donate your pre-loved hearing aids and join him in giving the gift of hearing…

Life-saving “ear camps”

Since its foundation in 1988, BRINOS (Britain Nepal Otology Service) has held “ear camps” every March and November. Nearly 40 ear camps have been undertaken, over 30,000 patients have been treated and 2,500 received major ear surgery.

Patients for each ear camp are pre-selected through the Primary Ear Care programme then a team of ENT surgeons, operating theatre nurses and an anaesthetist travel to Nepal and work closely with local surgeons and local theatre staff, providing valuable support and training. About 100 major ear operations are done over a nine day period, using three operating tables running simultaneously.

*Our teams aim to travel to Nepal during March and again in November so please, send us your pre-loved hearing aids one or two months before, to give us enough time to check, clean and repair them.

 

Additional information:

Nationwide survey in 1991:

In 1991 a nationwide survey of deafness and ear disease in Nepal was undertaken by BRINOS, with the Liverpool Institute of Tropical Medicine and the Department of Community Medicine in Kathmandu.

16,000 people were surveyed and the main findings were:

• 2.7 million out of the population of 19 million were significantly deaf.

• 1.5 million had abnormal ear drums indicative of preventable ear disease.

• 32% of hearing impairment is associated with middle ear infection or any subsequent disease

• 70% of those sufferers associated with middle ear infection or any following disease are of school age

• 61% of individuals aware of ear problems had never attended their health post

• of the 39% who had received treatment, 66% were dis-satisfied

• 50% of all ear disease was PREVENTABLE

                  

                 

                   

                   For more information on CUBEX, please visit www.cubex.co.uk

                   25 New Cavendish Street

                   London

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                   0207 935 5511