Khoza-Shangase Katijah, Moroe Nomfundo F, Edwards Anita
Department of Audiology, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.
S Afr J Commun Disord. 2020 Mar 3;67(2):e1-e3. doi: 10.4102/sajcd.v67i2.700.
Noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable if the collaborative stakeholders in the prevention process are fully committed to the process and implement effective measures timely. Audiologists have within their scope of practice the prevention of hearing loss and this needs to be at the forefront of all advocacy campaigns to prevent occupational hearing loss (OHL). In a systematic review by Moroe, Khoza-Shangase, Kanji and Ntlhakana (2018), where literature into the exposure to occupational noise in developing countries suggested that the prevalence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss (ONIHL) is still high, significant gaps in locally relevant and responsive evidence were identified. There is also evidence that the mining industry is aware of this epidemic; however, the efforts to curb ONIHL are currently unsuccessful. These authors explored and documented current evidence reflecting trends in the management of ONIHL in the mining industry in Africa from 1994 to 2016 through the use of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Findings from this systematic review indicated that there is a dearth of research on the management of ONIHL in Africa. The limited research on the management of ONIHL focuses on some aspects of the hearing conservation programme pillars and not on all the pillars as suggested by some scholars in the field. Furthermore, they found that published studies had small sample sizes, thereby minimising their generalisation. This systematic review's findings highlighted a need for more studies on the management of ONIHL in the mining sector, as evidence suggests that this condition in African countries is still on the rise; hence, there is the importance of this Special Issue, based on South Africa.
如果预防过程中的相关利益方全力投入并及时采取有效措施，噪声性听力损失是完全可以预防的。听力学家的执业范围包括预防听力损失，这需要在所有预防职业性听力损失（OHL）的宣传活动中处于首要位置。在Moroe、Khoza-Shangase、Kanji和Ntlhakana（2018年）进行的一项系统评价中，关于发展中国家职业噪声暴露的文献表明，职业性噪声性听力损失（ONIHL）的患病率仍然很高，同时发现当地相关且有针对性的证据存在重大差距。也有证据表明采矿业意识到了这一流行病；然而，目前遏制职业性噪声性听力损失的努力并不成功。这些作者通过使用系统评价和Meta分析的首选报告项目，探索并记录了1994年至2016年非洲采矿业职业性噪声性听力损失管理趋势的现有证据。该系统评价的结果表明，非洲在职业性噪声性听力损失管理方面缺乏研究。关于职业性噪声性听力损失管理的有限研究集中在听力保护计划支柱的某些方面，而不是该领域一些学者所建议的所有支柱。此外，他们发现已发表的研究样本量较小，因此其普遍性受到限制。该系统评价的结果凸显了对采矿业职业性噪声性听力损失管理进行更多研究的必要性，因为有证据表明这种情况在非洲国家仍在上升；因此，基于南非的本期特刊具有重要意义。
