De Wet Swanepoel, Professor of Audiology, Department of Speech-language Pathology and Audiology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. I also serve as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Audiology and Past President of the International Society of Audiology. Representing South Africa in particular and Sub-Saharan Africa generally, the region is characterised by a tremendous shortage of audiological services with less than one audiologist for every million people. South Africa has the most robust supply of audiologists on the continent, with five universities training more than 100 audiologists annually. The pressing hearing healthcare needs of the region serve as fertile ground for necessity-driven innovation in hearing health technologies and service-delivery.
Latest Contribution
Screening for hearing loss with mHealth solutions
With the number of people suffering from hearing loss growing all the time, the need for early detection and intervention is imperative. De Wet Swanepoel discusses two examples of mHealth possibilities for hearing screening which, as a low cost solution,...
Remote hearing aid fittings and maintenance – exploring applications in Africa
Introduction Technology and connectivity are allowing audiological services to be provided in novel ways. The field of telehealth, although firmly established over the past two decades, is buoyed by the continued and rapid advances in information and communication technologies. Remote...
Will it ever happen?
Audiology is a rapidly evolving field, with many exciting developments on the horizon. David Baguley identified some topics of interest, and asked some international experts ‘will it ever happen?’ Gene therapy for deafness After years of development, gene therapy for...
