United Nations Technology Bank , Medtronic Labs, and Ministry of Health Bhutan
Project partner
Hear, Listen
and Speak
Funding period
since 2023
Support
Technology and Expertise
About the program:
Hear, Listen and Speak (HLS) aims to establish sustainable ear and hearing care for children aged up to 14 years in Bhutan, both now and into the future through the delivery of technology, equipment, professional training, family education, outreach initiatives, and the implementation of new services. HLS aligns with HTWF’s focus on children, shares its values, and emphasizes sustainability. It will, at country-wide scale, increase awareness, build capacity, and develop new and sustainable services that currently do not exist at all for children in Bhutan but that are essential for quality pediatric hearing care. The project is being run by a consortium between the UN Technology Bank and Medtronic Labs in collaboration with the Bhutanese Ministry of Health, Med-El. UNRCO, UNICEF and Ministry of Education are advisors to the consortium. HTWF’s role in this project is to ensure successful intervention, by providing technology, equipment and training.
Project objectives
- Screen and fit the entire child population of Bhutan
- Establish country-wide infrastructure for newborn and child screening, diagnostics and fitting
- Build up nation-wide audiology capacities by training and equipping local staff
- Integrate hearing care into the national health system within three years