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WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION Date: 5 March 2025 ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE Ms Helen Sõber BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L’EUROPE REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA Adviser ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО European Union Affairs and International Co- Head office: operation Department UN City, Marmorvej 51, Ministry of Social Affairs DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Suur-Ameerika 1 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00; Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Email: [email protected] 10122 Tallinn Website: https://www.who.int/europe Estonia Our reference: Your reference: Notre référence: Votre référence: Unser Zeichen: Ihr Zeichen: См. наш номер: На Ваш номер: Dear Ms Sõber, Technical briefing to WHO European Region Member States: Hearing Aid Specifications and Quality Standards Wednesday 26 March 2025 9:30–11:00 CET The WHO Regional Office for Europe is pleased to host a regional virtual technical briefing to support informed decision making in selecting, evaluating and procuring quality hearing aids in your national context. I am delighted to invite you to nominate two representatives from your country to participate in the technical briefing. WHO/Europe is providing technical support to Member States towards integrated, people-centred ear and hearing care. This approach includes access to available, affordable and quality hearing devices, whilst considering the different models of hearing aid service delivery in the Region. The technical briefing will take place on Wednesday 26 March 2025 from 9:30 to 11:00 Central European Time. Please find the scope and purpose of the event, as well as the provisional programme, attached. The nominated representatives should be officials from the ministries responsible for ear and hearing care, hearing device and / or assistive technology, should be responsible for assistive technology / hearing device selection and procurement, quality evaluation and standard setting, and should have the capacity to represent their organisation and help advance this topic nationally. The presentations will be in English, and simultaneous Russian interpretation will be provided. Closed captioning will be available during the briefing. Kindly provide us your two nominations. Please include their names, job titles, organizations, departments and email addresses, at your earliest convenience and no later than 18 March 2025. Thereafter, we shall communicate with them directly and share the necessary documentation and administrative information including the videoconference (Zoom) link to join on the day. Shirin Kiani, Technical Officer, Rehabilitation, Assistive Technology & Disability Inclusion is responsible for this activity and it would be appreciated if you would address your reply to her at [email protected] with [email protected] in copy. Sincerely yours, Dr Natasha Azzopardi Muscat Director, Division of Country Health Policies and Systems UN City, Marmorvej 51 Tel.: +45 45 33 70 00 Email: [email protected] DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø Fax: +45 45 33 70 01 Website: https://www.who.int/europe Denmark Encls: Scope and Purpose Provisional Programme Copy for information to: Ms Agne Nettan-Sepp, Head, European Union Affairs and International Co-operation Department, Ministry of Social Affairs, Suur-Ameerika 1, 10129 Tallinn, Estonia H.E. Ms Riia Salsa-Audiffren, Ambassador Representative of the Republic of Estonia, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Estonia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28A, CH-1209 Genève, Switzerland H.E. Mr Andre Pung, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Estonia, Frederiksgade 19, 4th floor, 1265 Copenhagen K, Denmark Ms Kristina Köhler, Liaison Officer, WHO Country Office, Estonia, Paldiski Road 81, 10617 Tallinn, Estonia –2– WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО Hearing Aid Specifications and Quality Standards /1 Technical briefing to WHO European Region Member States Wednesday 26 March 2025 9:30–11:00 CET 1 March 2025 Original: English Scope and purpose Background Ear and hearing conditions are extremely common. Globally more than 1.5 billion people experience some decline in their hearing capacity during their life course, of whom at least 430 million will require suitable rehabilitation such as the use of hearing devices.1 Determining the assistive product and service requirements at the planning stage of a procurement process is essential to its success. Assistive Product Specifications are minimum criteria applied during a procurement process. These define the minimum requirements products should meet to ensure orders from suppliers are adequate to meet the user need. These may include or be supplemented by quality standards which ensure products meet minimum quality criteria, including safety, durability, and applicability for the environment. Specifications and standards play a key role in addressing the need for appropriate assistive products, and when used correctly, can ensure quality products are entering the market, thus protecting the end-user and ensuring value. Countries may choose to develop their own specifications and standards, or may develop specifications based on international specifications and standards including those available from the WHO,2 the International Standards Organization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) or other relevant standards bodies. However, on their own, specifications and standards need to be enforced and to be supported with the staff, resources, means and competencies to verify product compliance both prior to procurement, and following entry to the market. The development of national Assistive Product Specifications and quality standards addresses the need to ensure a balance between product quality and cost, while supporting the health of the assistive technology market within a country, local production and providers, and limiting unnecessary strain on government budgets. The WHO Regional Office for Europe has been providing technical support in the procurement of assistive products, and the setting of specifications and standards for medical products in selected Member States. Technical support provided so far has focused on assistive products that 1 World Health Organization. 2021. World Report on Hearing. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240020481 2 World Health Organization. 2021. Assistive product specifications and how to use them. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240020283 Scope and purpose - Page 1 of 2 support mobility and self-care. Given the high prevalence of hearing loss, a need was identified to provide key information specific to hearing aids. Every year, World Hearing Day is celebrated on 3 March, an opportunity to raise awareness about access to integrated, people-centred ear and hearing services. Despite the critical role of hearing aids, only a fraction of those in need have access to them. Access to affordable and quality hearing aids is essential for promoting independence and participation in society of those with hearing loss. The WHO Regional Office for Europe is organising a technical briefing on hearing aid specifications and quality standards following World Hearing Day. Aim This technical briefing aims to address the barriers to accessing appropriate hearing aids by providing the knowledge required for Member States to support informed decision making in selecting, evaluating and procuring quality hearing aids in their national contexts. Objectives • Increase capacity for selecting and procuring quality hearing aids • Enhance knowledge in evaluating and monitoring hearing aid quality • Introduce WHO tools that support the procurement of quality hearing aids and/or the development and implementation of national hearing aid specifications and quality standards Date and time One 90-minute technical briefing will be held virtually. The briefing will take place on Wednesday 26 March 2025 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am Central European Time. Participants Participants will include representatives from relevant ministries of WHO European Region Member States. Each Member State is invited to nominate up to two participants for the meeting. Participants are likely to be representatives from health and social ministries and to be responsible for ear and hearing care, hearing device and / or assistive technology and more specifically for assistive technology / hearing device procurement, quality evaluation and standard setting. Languages and accessibility The presentations will be provided in English, and simultaneous Russian interpretation will be provided. Preparatory documents will be available in English and Russian. Closed captioning will be available during the briefing. Scope and purpose - Page 2 of 2 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTÉ REGIONAL OFFICE FOR EUROPE BUREAU RÉGIONAL DE L'EUROPE WELTGESUNDHEITSORGANISATION ВСЕМИРНАЯ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЯ ЗДРАВООХРАНЕНИЯ REGIONALBÜRO FÜR EUROPA ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЕ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОЕ БЮРО Hearing Aid Specifications and Quality Standards /1 Technical briefing to WHO European Region Member States Wednesday 26 March 2025 9:30–11:00 CET 1 March 2025 Original: English Provisional programme Hearing Aid Specifications and Quality Standards Wednesday 26 March 2025 9:30–11:00 CET 9:30–9:40 Welcome and objectives Shirin Kiani, Technical Officer Health Workforce and Service Delivery Unit WHO Regional Office for Europe 9:40–9:50 Leaving no one behind: Enabling persons with hearing loss to participate fully in society Tomas Zapata, Regional Advisor and Unit Head Health Workforce and Service Delivery Unit WHO Regional Office for Europe 9:50–9:55 The transformative power of access to quality assistive technology TBC ATscale, the global partnership for Assistive Technology, hosted by UNOPS 9:55–10:10 Towards quality assistive products Emma M. Smith, Technical Specialist Health Workforce and Service Delivery Unit WHO Regional Office for Europe 10:10–10:25 International and national quality standards and specifications for hearing aids Ariane Laplante-Lévesque, Technical Specialist Health Workforce and Service Delivery Unit WHO Regional Office for Europe 10:25–10:40 WHO technical support towards quality hearing aids Shelly Chadha, Technical Lead Ear and Hearing Care Programme WHO Headquarters 10:40–11:00 Questions and closure Shirin Kiani, Technical Officer Health Workforce and Service Delivery Unit WHO Regional Office for Europe Provisional programme - Page 1 of 1 Saatja: WHO/Europe Ear and Eye Programme <[email protected]> Saadetud: 06.03.2025 14:52 Adressaat: <=?Windows-1252?Q?Helen_S=F5ber?=> Koopia: <"Agne Nettan-Sepp">; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>; KÖHLER, Kristina <[email protected]> Teema: Invite to nominate/ Technical briefing on Hearing Aid Specifications and Quality Standards 26 March 2025 9:30–11:00 CET (Zoom) Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.Tähelepanu! Tegemist on välisvõrgust saabunud kirjaga.Tundmatu saatja korral palume linke ja faile mitte avada.Dear National Counterpart, Please find attached nomination letter for your kind attention noting that the deadline for nomination is 18 March 2025. Thank you and best regards, Health Workforce and Service Delivery Programme WHO Regional Office for Europe Copenhagen, Denmark Web: Follow WHO on | | |