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World Hearing Forum

World Hearing Day

Every 3 March, World Hearing Day turns hearing care into headlines, screenings, school visits and policy conversations in communities around the world. This workstream helps Forum members plan, register and report their activities.

Led by co-chairs Mauro Menzietti and Snigdha Sarkar

Register an activityJoin the workstream

Our goal

Maximize awareness on hearing loss and advocacy for hearing care among policy-makers, professionals, communities, and the general public in all Member States through World Hearing Day.
3 March
every year, since WHO first marked the day

Source: WHO

40+
languages the workstream translated campaign materials into last year

Source: worldhearingday.org

194
WHO Member States the workstream aims to reach

Source: Workstream objectives

Forum members in 54 countries take World Hearing Day to their communities

Hundreds of activities are registered every year: screenings in markets, lessons in classrooms, ministers at podiums, radio phone-ins and social media in more than 40 languages.

Highlighted: countries with a World Hearing Forum member organisation. Live activity maps for each year are on worldhearingday.org.

  • Live events
  • Hearing screening
  • Traditional media
  • Social media
  • Policy-maker participation
  • Influencers
  • Education

How to take part

  1. 1. Plan

    Pick an activity that fits your community: a screening day, a school visit, a radio slot, a walk.

  2. 2. Register

    Submit your planned activity on worldhearingday.org so WHO and other members can see it.

  3. 3. Celebrate on 3 March

    Use the official theme and translated materials. Share what you do with #WorldHearingDay.

  4. 4. Report

    Tell the workstream what happened. Reports feed the global picture WHO publishes each year.

Register or report an activity

Theme for 3 March 2026

From communities to schools: hearing care for all children

Around 95 million children aged 5 to 19 live with hearing loss. Nearly 60% of childhood hearing loss is due to avoidable causes.

WHO campaign page

What we are working towards

The workstream’s objectives as agreed with WHO, and how progress is measured against them.

  1. 01

    Increase the reach of World Hearing Day activities to 95% of the 194 WHO Member States by 2026.

  2. 02

    Increase involvement of governments and their institutions in World Hearing Day activities.

  3. 03

    Increase traditional and social media coverage of World Hearing Day events to amplify reach and impact.

  4. 04

    Make World Hearing Day an official UN recognized day.

  5. 05

    Strengthen support to celebrate World Hearing Day worldwide through the website, non-UN translations, grants, guides, and other resources.

  6. 06

    Increase World Hearing Day workstream member engagement.

Achievements so far

  • Launched the worldhearingday.org website with live data of World Hearing Day events.
  • Increased the number of countries celebrating World Hearing Day.
  • Increased non-UN language translations of World Hearing Day resources.
  • Improved World Hearing Day event registration and reporting processes.

How progress is measured, 2024–2025

  • Increase the number of World Hearing Day events, countries, translations, government officials involved, social media reach, small grants, and donors.
  • Increase workstream member engagement through meeting participation and involvement in initiatives.
  • Adhere to timelines for translated materials, activity reports, and the small grant scheme.

Make World Hearing Day a United Nations International Day

World Hearing Day is observed every 3 March by WHO and hundreds of partners. It is not yet on the UN calendar of International Days. Formal recognition would give hearing care the standing that World Sight Day, World Mental Health Day and dozens of others already have.

  1. Anyone

    Sign the petition

    Add your name to the public petition calling for World Hearing Day to become a UN International Day.

    Sign the petition

  2. Organisations and professionals

    Send a letter of support

    Use the template to put your organisation’s support in writing, and send it to the workstream.

    Email whdworkstream@gmail.com

  3. Governments

    Lead or co-sponsor the proposal

    International Days are adopted by the UN General Assembly on a Member State’s proposal. A ministry can lead it, or add its name as a co-sponsor.

    Read how it works

Campaign documents

Everything you need to make the case, hosted by the World Hearing Day workstream.

Campaign page on worldhearingday.org

Other workstreams