Close to 20 doctors and nurses have completed training in basic ear care, so children found to have ear conditions or hearing loss during school checks can be treated closer to home, the World Health Organization said on 2 November.
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services led the two-day training on 21 and 22 October, with support from the Government of Australia, WHO and The Fred Hollows Foundation Australia.
Many communities in Solomon Islands are far from a hospital and getting care can mean a long trip to Honiara, WHO said. Treating common ear problems at local clinics means fewer people need to travel.
Using WHO's basic ear and hearing care training manual, participants learned to spot common ear problems and treat them at the clinic. They were also taught how to recognise when a patient needs a specialist, and how to pass the skills on to colleagues at their clinics.
The training supports an Australian Government-funded programme run under ATscale. In seven Pacific Island and Southeast Asian countries, the programme screens school-aged children and provides glasses, hearing aids and mobility aids to those who need them.
A 2018 study of 604 children from two primary schools in Honiara found that 342 children, or 56.6 per cent, had ear conditions that needed further assessment or treatment, WHO said.
Disability and Programme Coordinator at the Ministry of Health and Medical Services Elwin Taloimatakwa said early detection alone is not enough, and school screening must lead to follow-up care close to where children live. Getting children the right care early can prevent avoidable complications, he said.
Health Systems Coordinator at WHO Solomon Islands Dr Sakthivel Selvaraj said a child who seems not to be listening in class may simply be unable to hear properly. With stronger frontline health workers, a child with hearing difficulty should not have to wait until the problem becomes severe before the health system responds, he said.
Head nurse of Lunga Rural Health Clinic Wilson Bala said the training had strengthened his skills and confidence in assessing and managing ear and hearing conditions. As a frontline nurse in a rural clinic he is often the first point of contact for patients, and the training has equipped him to identify ear problems and make informed referrals when needed, he said.
The course builds on earlier ear care training in Solomon Islands. After a similar course in July 2024, training expanded to Atoifi and Kilu'ufi in Malaita Province.
MHMS plans to expand the training in 2027, subject to planning and available resources, with the aim of training health workers wherever school screening takes place. WHO said it is also planning further expert support for hearing tests, including from its Fiji office.
WHO said clinics will need ongoing support, working equipment and essential medicines to do the work. They will also need clear ways to refer patients to specialists, and regular check-ins to show where health workers need refresher training.