Caccamo Samantha, Voloshchenko Anastasia, Dankyi Nana Yaa
Social Business Earth , Lugano , Switzerland.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2014 Sep;9(5):368-73. doi: 10.3109/17483107.2014.906664. Epub 2014 Apr 14.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 280 million people worldwide have a bilateral hearing loss, mostly living in poor countries. Hearing loss causes heavy social burdens on individuals, families, communities and countries. However, due to the lack of accessibility and affordability, the vast majority of people in the world who need hearing aids do not have access to them. Low-income countries are thus pulled into a disability/poverty spiral. From this standpoint, the production of available, accessible and affordable hearing aids for the poorest populations of our planet should be one of the main issues in global hearing healthcare. Designing and producing a brand new low-cost hearing aid is the most effective option. Involving a large producer of hearing aids in the creation of a social business to solve the problem of access to affordable hearing aids is an essential step to reduce hearing disability on a large scale globally. Today's technology allows for the creation of a "minimal design" product that does not exceed $100-$150, that can be further lowered when purchased in large quantities and dispensed with alternative models. It is conceivable that by making a sustainable social business, the low cost product could be sold with a cross-subsidy model in order to recover the overhead costs.
Social business is an economic model that has the potential to produce and distribute affordable hearing aids in low- and middle-income countries. Rehabilitation of hearing impaired children will be carried out in partnership with Sahic (Society of Assistance to Hearing Impaired Children) in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the ENT Department of Ospedale Burlo di Trieste, Dr. Eva Orzan.
世界卫生组织（WHO）估计，全球约有2.8亿人患有双侧听力损失，其中大多数生活在贫困国家。听力损失给个人、家庭、社区和国家带来了沉重的社会负担。然而，由于缺乏可及性和可承受性，世界上绝大多数需要助听器的人无法获得。低收入国家因此陷入残疾/贫困的恶性循环。从这个角度来看，为地球上最贫困人群生产可用、可及且可承受的助听器应成为全球听力保健的主要问题之一。设计并生产全新的低成本助听器是最有效的选择。让一家大型助听器生产商参与创建一家社会企业以解决可承受助听器的获取问题，是在全球范围内大规模减少听力残疾的关键一步。当今的技术能够制造出价格不超过100 - 150美元的“极简设计”产品，大量采购时价格还可进一步降低，并可采用替代型号。可以想象，通过建立可持续的社会企业，这种低成本产品可以采用交叉补贴模式销售，以收回运营成本。
社会企业是一种经济模式，有潜力在低收入和中等收入国家生产和分发可承受的助听器。听力受损儿童的康复工作将与孟加拉国达卡的萨希克（援助听力受损儿童协会）以及的里雅斯特布尔洛医院耳鼻喉科的伊娃·奥尔赞医生合作开展。
