On Saturday 28th February between 9:00am and 12:00pm, the Malta Association of Audiologists and the Gozo Association for the Deaf joined forces for the first time to commemorate World Hearing Day with a large-scale community hearing screening event in Victoria, Gozo.
World Hearing Day, observed annually on 3rd March and led globally by the World Health Organization, aims to raise awareness on hearing loss prevention and promote ear and hearing care across the world. This year’s local initiative marked a historic milestone for Gozo, being the first collaboration between two NGOs dedicated to hearing health and deaf awareness on the island. The Hon. Clint Camilleri, Minister for Gozo and Planning who specially paid a courtesy visit to this event was very much impressed with the way it was organised and had much praise for this initiative.
Free Hearing Screenings for the Community
The event offered free hearing screenings for individuals aged 6 years and upwards, providing 80 participants ( 18 under 18 years of age and 62 adults) with their first-ever audiological assessment and baseline audiogram.
A total of 9 locally CPCM-registered Audiologists and 3 MSc in Audiology students from the current cohort volunteered their expertise. The screening setup was highly structured and efficient:
•5 hearing tests were conducted simultaneously
•2 Audiologists performed detailed ear examinations and case histories
•2 Audiologists were dedicated to explaining results and answering participants’ questions
Participants were also able to seek professional advice on:
•Noise-induced hearing loss and prevention
•Tinnitus
•Ear protection
•Age-related hearing changes
•Next steps following identification of hearing difficulties
For those identified with hearing loss, professional guidance was provided regarding referral pathways, further diagnostic assessment, and management options.
Community Engagement and Social Support
The Gozo Association for the Deaf kindly hosted the event at their premises in Victoria, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. Members of the Association were present throughout the morning, organising a social area where attendees could enjoy coffee and tea after their screening. During this time, they also explained the Association’s role, advocacy work, and the support services available for individuals with hearing loss and their families.
This social dimension played an important role in reducing stigma and encouraging open discussion around hearing health.
A Shared Vision for Awareness and Accessibility
The collaboration was driven by a shared purpose:
•To educate the public
•To increase awareness about hearing health
•To make hearing testing more accessible
•To encourage early detection and prevention
The event particularly aimed to reach individuals who may have felt shy, unsure, or uncertain about how to get their hearing tested. By providing a friendly, professional, and free service, the initiative lowered barriers and empowered individuals to take control of their hearing health.
Leadership Reflections
The President of the Gozo Association for the Deaf and long-time Teacher of the Deaf, Carmen Grech, described the event as “a meaningful step forward in raising awareness in Gozo and strengthening collaboration between organisations working for the Deaf and hard of hearing community.”
Chairman of the Malta Association of Audiologists, Dr Andrew Sciberras, also declared the initiative a success, highlighting the strong turnout, the professional teamwork, and the positive feedback received from attendees.
They both expressed hope that this will become an annual World Hearing Day event in Gozo, further strengthening public education and preventive hearing care across the Maltese islands.
The Gozo Association for the Deaf has recently become a member of the European Foundation of the Hard of Hearing and will be represented at its AGM in Brussels this April.
