Clinical audiologist Dr. Simeon Afolabi has warned that the absence of a sustained newborn hearing screening programme in Nigeria’s public hospitals is delaying the detection of hearing loss in children, limiting timely access to effective treatment.
Speaking at a cochlear implant information and support session for patients and parents, Dr. Afolabi, of BSA Hearing and Speech Centre, Lagos, explained that hearing impairment in newborns can be identified within hours of birth through a simple test called otoacoustic emission screening.
He noted that while the test costs between ₦10,000 and ₦15,000 in private facilities, it is rarely available in government hospitals, despite being standard practice in many countries.
Dr. Afolabi added that Lagos State had previously piloted newborn hearing screening at hospitals such as Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and General Hospital, Gbagada, but the initiative was not sustained due to staffing and administrative challenges.
“As a result, many children are diagnosed very late, sometimes at seven or eight years, when speech and language development have already been affected,” he said.
Dr. Afolabi explained that cochlear implants are most effective when done early, ideally before the age of six, adding that delayed diagnosis reduces the benefits of the intervention and increases the need for prolonged rehabilitation.
He said children make up about 70 percent of cochlear implant users in Nigeria, but overall access remains low due to limited awareness, late diagnosis, and high cost. A cochlear implant, he said, costs about ₦19–20 million per ear.
He called for the integration of newborn hearing screening into routine postnatal care in public hospitals and urged greater investment in early detection services to improve outcomes for children with hearing loss.
