- Newborn hearing screening enables early detection of hearing loss, which is essential for language development and social inclusion.
- Panama has strengthened its diagnostic capacity through new legislation, equipment, and upgraded health facilities, expanding access to services, including in remote areas.
- The program improves the lives of children with hearing loss by providing hearing aids, cochlear implants, and technical support that facilitate learning and participation.
Can a simple test at birth change a child’s future? In Panama, a program focused on newborn hearing screening and technology is giving more girls and boys the opportunity to hear—opening the door to learning and development from the very first days of life.
Hearing loss, or hypoacusis, in newborns can affect one in every 500 children. When it is not detected early, language development and communication skills may be compromised, affecting social interaction, emotional well-being, and the ability to learn. It can also lead to educational challenges with long-term effects and potentially result in a future disability.
For this reason, newborn hearing screening—which consists of a series of quick, painless tests performed in the first hours of life—is essential to detect hearing loss and enable timely intervention.
In cases where diagnosis does not occur early or hearing loss develops later in childhood, technology becomes a critical ally. For children with mild or moderate hearing loss, hearing aids amplify sounds to make them perceptible. When hearing loss is severe or profound and amplification is not sufficient, cochlear implants offer an alternative by transforming sounds into electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve.
In both cases, the goal is the same: to ensure that every child has the opportunity to hear, develop language, and fully participate in family life, school, and the community.
In Panama, an estimated 300 of the 60,000 children born each year present some degree of hearing loss, according to data from the Ministry of Health (MINSA). Aware of the importance of early detection, the country advanced with Law 329 of 2022, which establishes universal newborn hearing screening in all public and private institutions and guarantees that the test is free of charge in MINSA facilities.
Despite this progress, barriers remain for children who require devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants to access them in a timely manner, particularly in households facing vulnerability.
To address this challenge, the Program for the Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities—financed by the IDB and implemented by the National Secretariat for Disability (SENADIS) in coordination with MINSA—has significantly strengthened the country’s capacity to detect hearing loss from the earliest days of life. Twelve health facilities in seven provinces and Indigenous regions, including hard-to-reach areas, have been equipped with screening equipment to perform hearing tests within the first 24 hours after birth.
In addition, the program has equipped five hospitals with specialized diagnostic tools, including auditory evoked potentials systems, otoacoustic emissions equipment, and soundproof booths—essential for accurately confirming diagnoses of hearing loss.
Today, Panama is advancing toward a stronger diagnostic capacity that reduces the risk of undetected hearing loss developing into a disability.
Diagnosis is only the first step. The program has also expanded access to devices that enable children and young people with hearing disabilities to hear and communicate more effectively. To date, hearing aids have been provided to 395 people with hearing loss, and the program has facilitated the placement of 26 cochlear implants, including both internal and external components.
One example of this impact is Joseph, a child diagnosed with profound deafness at birth who, thanks to the program’s support, was able to access a cochlear implant. According to his mother, since the intervention Joseph has begun to hear sounds for the first time and to say “many little words.” “Today, we are working so that Joseph can develop speech.” His story shows how technology, combined with auditory and language stimulation therapy, can open the path to communication development.
The actions promoted by Panama help ensure that every child begins life with equal opportunities to hear, communicate, learn, and fully develop. By strengthening hearing screening, improving diagnostic capacity, and facilitating access to technical support, the country is laying the groundwork for more girls and boys to build futures with greater educational, social, and economic opportunities.
Those who require assistive devices now also benefit from better conditions to receive and effectively use them. With these advances, Panama is moving toward a model of inclusion in which all people can participate fully and reach their maximum potential.
To learn more about this project in Panama, please watch this video: