OUR PROJECT OVERVIEW: RAISING AWARENESS OF CI FOR CHILDREN & INFANTS IN LOW & MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES

Cochlear implantation has provided access to sound for tens of thousands of children with severe to profound hearing loss globally. When cochlear implants are obtained early along with long-term audiologic management, appropriate speech and language intervention, educational support, and family-centered services, children with hearing loss can achieve age-appropriate language and listening outcomes, attend mainstream schools, and become fully integrated members of their families and communities.

Eighty percent of the world’s 34 million children with hearing loss live in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where cochlear implantation can be prohibitively expensive and the costs of maintenance and follow-up care can be disheartening. In many low-resource settings it can also be difficult to find trained professionals to support listening and language development after surgery. Without access to cochlear implantation and the necessary aftercare, these children will needlessly struggle to participate in their communities.

In an effort to define the ways in which CIICA can advocate for children with severe to profound hearing losses in LMICs, we turned to those families who have successfully obtained a cochlear implant. In December 2025, CIICA put out a global call asking families of children with cochlear implants living in LMICs to share their stories. They disclosed their biggest challenges, successes, supports, and advice. In this compellation, you will find 75 stories from 19 countries across five continents. Individually, they celebrate the uniqueness of each child and their families’ love. Together, they underscore the inequality of hearing healthcare and the lengths families travel to ensure their children can reach their highest potentials. CIICA’s goal was to document the salient barriers to cochlear implantation in LMICs and build pathways to cochlear implantation for more families.

The opinions expressed in these stories are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of CIICA.

A note on terminology:

The essays presented in this collection have been lightly edited for clarity in English and the anonymity of the storytellers and their support systems. Throughout the stories, families use technical terms to describe hearing loss, hearing technology, and the professionals who support them. These words vary between countries, cultures, and narrators. We have not standardized the language used across stories as it reveals how each parent positions themselves as caregivers and in relation to their clinicians and educators. A glossary is included to clarify some technical vocabulary.