| Report to IFOS
IFOS Meeting – Leiden – The Netherlands
30 May 2002
By Prof. Dr. Suchitra Prasansuk
President : Hearing International
Director : Otological Center : Bangkok Unit
Chair: IFOS Global Ear Care Committee
Address : Otological Center : Bangkok Unit
ORL Dept., Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital,
Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand.
Tel. 66-2-4198043, 66-2-4113254
Fax. 66-2-4654050, 66-2-4113254
Email sispa@mahidol.ac.th
, sispa@ksc.th.com
. First on behalf of Director of Otological Center
: Bangkok Unit – the official IFOS – ISA &
HI Center established since 1985 and WHO Collaboarating
Center since 1988 (WHO C.108), Chairperson of
IFOS Global Ear Care Standing Committee and President
of the Hearing International – A charity organization
working in official relationship with IFOS since
established in 1992 and I would like to give this
combination report for those organization, Center
and Committee since the work are all in connection
with the aims of Prevention of Hearing Impairment
and Deafness – Curative – Preventive – Promotive
– Rehabilitative include Technological Transfer
and Manpower Development for the sake of Healthy
Ears and Better Hearing of mankind in particular
for the needed people in the Developing Countries
where there are scarce of resources and the Know-how.
I.The Establishment
1. Otological Center : Bangkok Unit of Siriraj
Hospital, Mahidol University established the official
link with IFOS –ISA since 1985 as the first IFOS
–ISA Center for Prevention of Hearing Impairment
& Deafness as one of the three planned Center
for different region of the world, since IFOS
agreed that there was a great need of professional
cooperation at the International and Global Level
for the success of this programme. The Bangkok
Center had met with the criteria of WHO and became
WHO First Collaborating Center since 1988. IFOS
also has established official link with WHO and
established International Agency for Prevention
of Deafness ( IAPD) headed by Dr. Lundborg of
Sweden for worldwide cooperation which later on
was changed to ‘IFOS Global Ear Care Committee’
at IFOS committee meeting in Istanbul 1994.
2. Hearing International was established since
1992 as partner organization with IFOS and ISA
for broader base and to serve the need of multi-disciplinary
approach. Hearing International is now 10 years
old. It is an umbrella organization with its’
members of different discipline i.e. Professional
NGOs, Consumers NGOs, International NGOs, National
Groups and Individual and interested organization
and person. …etc. HI has been actively involved
in programme Prevention of Hearing Impairment
and Deafness around the world in particular in
Southeast Asia and Western Pacific Regions. Members
are of different categories. Current individual
members are almost 200 with 18 Centers and 9 National
Chapters and Committee. Many more Centers and
National Committee are in process of approval.
Net working between existing centers was emphasized
for cross cultural and multi-centers research
study. Many projects are going on in different
countries.
3. IFOS Global Ear Care Committee has members
from different part of the world working in close
collaboration with the Bangkok Center and Hearing
International for the provision of technical know-how
and support of the activities to ensure of the
success of the programme at the Global Level both
for professional and Primary Ear and Hearing Care.
II. Report of Activity 2000-2002
On behalf of President of HI, Director of IFOS
Center and Chairperson of IFOS Global Ear Care
Committee I would like to make official report
as follow:-
1. International Meetings
1.1 Nepalese ORL Society Annual Meeting in Biratanagar,
Nepal, Organized by Dr. Madan Koiralla. (Dr. Suchitar
Prasansuk & Dr. Jun Ichi Suzuki)
1.2 Visited to Koiralla Instutution at Dahran
The application for the new Center is to be approved.
( Dr. Suchitra Prasansuk & Dr. Jun Ichi Suzuki)
1.3 9th ASEAN ORL Meeting in Singapore with Panel
discussion on– 1.Extending ENT Services to Community
2. How to train ENT Specialist to became the Ear
Specialist.
1.4 Present at IFOS Board Meeting in Singapore
at 9th ASEAN ORL Meeting with report to IFOS Committee.
1.5 Visited Nangjing General Hospital at Jiang
Su province & promote collaboration (Suchitra
Prasansuk & Navnit Shah) with Prof. Xing Kuan
BU head of ENT Dept. where the new HI-IFOS-ISA
Center will be established soon.
1.6 .About to go to IFOS world congress in Cairo
to be involved in 4 plenary session.
1. Global Ear Care Standing Committee Plenary
Session on ‘ Chronic Otitis Media the Foreseeable
solution for Developing Contries’.
2. HI – Round Table Discussion ‘ Role of HI in
Global Ear and Hearing care’
3. Hearing Loss and Vertigo in the Elderly.
4. Paediatric ORL Plenary Session.
…but the meeting was postponed to September 2002.
1.7 Participated at 7h Asia Pacific Congress on
Deafness held in Melbourne 2000 presented ‘Role
of NGOs in Global Ear and Hearing Care’.
1.8 HI and the Bangkok Center have been working
in close collaboration with World Health Organization
in the Programme for Prevention of Hearing Impairment
and Deafness in both Promotive and Preventive
Role and Primary Ear and Hearing Care Programme.
1.9 HI and the Bangkok Center participated actively
at WHO Low Cost Hearing Aids Working Group for
the Development of WHO Guideline and both organizations
now in the process of Preparation of Proposal
for Muti-Centers Trial Study.
1.10 Participated at WHO Regional Meeting on behalf
of IFOS & HI as NGOs at WHO regional Meeting
in Myanmar by Suchitra Prasansuk.
1.11 Participated at WHO - WPRO Regional meeting
in Brunei by Dr.Suchitra Prasansuk and Dr. Jun
Ichi Suzuki.
1.12 Contracted done with WHO SEARO for Development
of Book of Guideline on ‘ Primary Ear and Hearing
Care – The Foreseeable Solution for Prevention
of Hearing Impairment and Deafness’ which about
to finish in two months time.
2. Centers Activity
3.1 Multi-Centers Research Study on ‘Hearing Screening
in Infant and School
Children using OAEs’. ( Thailand, Philippines
& Indonesia)
3.2 Low cost Hearing aids Project Inter- countries
Trial study by HI-IFOS-
ISA Centers was planned and about to start.
3.3 Ear and Hearing Care – ‘Promotion and Prevention’
has been actively
implemented globally and is well accepted worldwide
both at level of
‘Primary Care’ in the community and at ‘Tertiary
Care’ of specialists in
HI-IFOS-ISA Centers around the world.
3.4 Elderly Projects on Hearing and Balance disorders.
3.5 Project on Healthy Ear and Better Hearing
Schools and Villages in North and Northeast of
Thailand by implementation of ‘Primary Ear and
Hearing Care’ concept to the Community through
already existing health care facilities with People
Participation.
3. More Centers to come :
HI has now 10 Full Centers and 7 affiliated Centers
(see HI leaflet).
Applications are more from
1. China – Nanjing ( Dr. Xingkuan Bu)
2. Vietnam – Danang ( DR. Huyh Ba Tan )
3. Nepal - Dharan ( Koirala Institute )
4. Saudi Arabia - Riyad (Dr. Zakzouk)
5. India - New Delhi ( Dr. Arun Agarwal)
National Committee and National Chapters are
9 :
Apllication in Process of Approval are from
1. Nepal - Nepal Medical Center ( Dr. Rakesh Prasad)
2. China - National Rehabilitation Research Center
for deaf
Children – Beijing (Mr. Sun Jinzhong)
4. HI Task Force groups were developed and become
active with 5 Tasks:
41. Epidemiological Survey and Service - active
in Thailand and other
countries (S.P)
4.2 Education and Training - active at Bangkok
Center
(19 International update courses and Temporal
Bone dissection)
4.3 Prevention and Public Awareness
4.4 Rehabilitation & Management for Hearing
Impaired people and Low
Cost Hearing Aids Projects.
4.5 Fund Raising in Thialand.
5.Annual Scientfic Conference
Bangkok Otological Center in connection with
Hearing International held ‘Annual Scientific
Conference’ for the purpose of ‘Manpower Development,
Transfer of Technology, Net working the Centers
and Inter- centers cooperation’ with international
Standard already 4 successful confernce.
1. Bangkok, Thailand - August 1997
2. Kyoto, Japan - November 1999
3. Michigan, USA -October 2000
4. Pattaya, Thailand - January 2002
5. Beijing China - October 2003
As Director of ‘Otological Center : Bangkok Unit’
WHO and IFOS - ISA - HI Collaborating Center for
Prevention of Hearing Impairment and Deafness
and as President of Hearing International Organization
and Chairperson of IFOS Global Ear Care Committee
I have best opportunity to have many support from
international groups include my IFOS Global Ear
Care Committee who are outstanding ENT specialists
from all over the World. Therefore I have opportunity
to collect experts as well as individuals to join
HI team and possibility to extend our services
and to help needed less develop countries. Myself
together with HI officers and members have been
actively promoting Ear and Hearing Care in Thailand
as well as in many other developing countries
both within the region and out side the region.
The Programme Prevention of Hearing Impairment
and Deafness is now well known and well accepted
and being implement with good impact and high
compliance worldwide.
Outstanding achievements of the Bangkok Center
in Connection with HI Activity during the past
year can be classified as follow : -
1. Running Annual Scientfifc Meeting – 4th Hearing
International Scientific Conference hold during
27 –31 January, 2002 at Royal Cliff Beach Hotel,
Pattaya.
Over 200 participants from 29 countries in connection
with3 ASIAN Seminar on Vertigo ad 19th Otology
update with 17 Seminars and 7 Tutorial Sessions.
Multidisciplinary conference plus school teachers
and consumers.
2. Precongress Golf Tournament Fund Raising with
Princess Cup 93 golfers participated with 22 teams
and 5 individuals.
3. Participating at ‘WHO Informal Consultation
and Planning Meetings’ held annually at WHO Geneva,
July 2001 .
4. Participated at WHO Hearing Aids Working Groups
I Geneva , July 2001.
5. Running 19th Oto-audiological Update and Temporal
Bone Dissecting
Courses in Pattaya, Thailand during 27-31 January,
2002 and in Bangkok.
6. Running research Programme on ‘Healthy Ear
and Better Hearing Schools and Villages’.
Feasibility study was carried out at the top North
villages and schools of Thailand (Mae Fa Luang
in Chiang Rai ) to find the possibility to set
up model schools and villages for rural people.
Results : The out come was very successful and
the programme should be able to implement. The
result is not only for immediate management of
the problem but also for the purpose of awareness
and prevention.
7. Public Awareness is implemented at all level.
At the time and any possible time public awareness
of Ear and Hearing Care is implemented.
Result : Good Public Awareness as to the problem
of Ear diseases and possibility of after effect
of hearing loss. Self Help and self care is promoted.
8. Manpower Development and Transfer of Technology
of the local and International Level.
Result : Worldwide projects developed in many
countries.
Present work and Work in continuation for the
Future
1. Primary Ear and Hearing Care –The Foreseeable
Solution for Prevention of hearing Impairment
and Deafness’ Project
Manual, Recommendation of outcome benefit and
Guideline of Implementation Programme for Community
Implementation. ( in Preparation)
2. Low Cost Hearing Aids for Rural People Project
Cooperating with WHO as planned to implement ‘
Low cost Hearing Aids Project with WHO Hearing
Aids working Group’s Guide line’ for the rural
hearing impaired people in developing world where
facilities are rare to non-exists in order to
find best delivery system and set up local service
centers for hearing aids and rehabilitation.
3. Model Healthy Ear and Better Hearing Villages
and Schools
This is the best way to give one shot for many
birds. Since with this project it will create
manpower development, public awareness of the
problem as well as transfer of appropriate technology
and know- how suitable for community, know of
their own problems and how to take care of the
problems and also to help other people as well
as learning of Primary Ear and Hearing care at
the same times.
4. IN-House Training at the Bangkok – Center
Training of personnel at the Center level i.e.
Update courses and fellowship programme is going
on as there is a demand and give good linkages
among working group and good relationship.
For the past year Bangkok Otological Center gave
in-house training to over 30 fellow from the region.
5. Cochlear Implant Project
Since many of severe hearing impaired people and
children were not achievable by ordinary hearing
aids. These people will end up with no hearing
and no communication and educational problem.
Now technology is within reach with the possibility
of by passing the impaired nerve ending to the
nerve of hearing by Cochlear Implantation is available.
The Bangkok Center has started the Cochlear Implant
Project with very good result in 5 candidates
with Acquired Hearing Loss after meningitis and
in Congenital Hearing Loss. More candidates to
join the project.
Final Remarks :
The Otological Center : Bangkok Unit is definitely
in the best position as core Center in giving
services as well as for manpower development and
transfer of technical know-how and together with
Hearing International Activity the Center become
even more effective in it’s activity. Otological
Center: Bangkok Unit itself is also in need of
help both for Fund for updating of personnel and
equipment too. Consideration is hope to be considered
at authorized level.
Acknowledgement :
I would like to thank IFOS and ISA for the far
sighted in starting this International Cooperation
of Multi- disciplinary Project, the Faculty of
Medicine Siriraj Hospital of Mahidol University
to approved the project and Chairman of ORL Dept.
for giving strong support of the WHO–IFOS-ISA
HI project for Prevention of Hearing Impairment
and Deafness. I also would like to thank to my
colleagues at the Bangkok Center and supporters
in the rural community. Last but not least to
my international volunteer supporters without
them the project would not be possible and WHO
for the recognition of the project.
Report by : Prof. Dr. Suchitra Prasansuk
Director: Otological Center : Bangkok Unit
IFOS –ISA- HI Center
WHO Collaborating Center (WHO C.108)
Chairperson: IFOS Global Ear Care Committee
President: Hearing International
|
