Dual Sensory Screening Initiative: A Game-Changer for Child Health

September has proven to be a busy month for the growing dual sensory Social Employment Fund (SEF) ambassadors under the supervision of our newly appointed audiologist, Kwanele Mthembu. In the last month, they have kicked off with chiselling away at the target of 5 000 children screened in our region by 2025 with the first two schools screened being Hope Schools and Learn & Play.

Kwanele shared, “With SPF adding hearing screening for children aged 5 to 6 in the healthcare offering calls for cooperation from primary schools that are in close proximity to ECD centres so that we are able to screen more children.”

The hearing screening team also took part in the Deaf Awareness Campaign that was recently hosted at Vincent Park Mall by the Department of Education (DoE) in partnership with the Department of Health (DoH) and other partners. The campaign saw over 100 members of the public screened, with some referred for further testing. The hearing screening team has also taken part in the MEC’s two-day mass hearing screening this week.

This has been an effort towards dual sensory screening that ensures early identification and referral. In partnership with hearX Foundation representatives, Allison Wilson and Tersia Dekock, KeReady Mobile, audiologists, and 20 SEF ambassadors, we conducted a two-day dual sensory screening at Khanyisa Primary School and Makhunga Mvalo Primary School in August. 36 learners were successfully screened at Khanyisa Primary School and 52 learners were screened at Makhunga Mvalo Primary School.

Bulelwa Koyo, an audiologist from DoE in BCMM, shared her views about the session at Makhunga Mvalo Primary School in Newlands. “This is a wonderful session to attend, much needed and very important. I am very happy to be part of it, especially because it aligns with what our policy wants, which is early identification and referral. Bulelwa further added that this was exactly what they wanted at schools so that children could be identified and referred to help at an early stage.

Nomataru Gontsi, an audiologist from DoE in Amathole East (Butterworth) also shared her insight about the dual sensory screening and said, “This is a very good programme. I love the idea; it is much needed and will significantly change these children’s lives. I wish they could expand it to other districts.”

If you have a school with 5 tot 6-year-olds, do not hesitate to contact our toll-free call centre at 08000 600 10 and see how we can best collaborate to have those children screened.