JANUARY 12, 2022

40 children who have received implants through the Social Security begin to hear

Implantes Cocleares

One in every thousand people are born with profound bilateral deafness and if other types of deafness are included, from moderate to levels, the number goes up to five out of every one thousand worldwide.


There are several causes for hearing loss, from complications in pregnancy to genetics, but in countries such as Guatemala, where public health and education are developing, hypoacusis presents greater challenges for those with it. Not being able to provide a timely diagnosis to address this condition has repercussions on several levels: on a personal level, the future of the person may be affected by the barriers that he or she will encounter in his or her environment. And nationally, the investment made for a cochlear implant in a deaf person is much less than for a person who is going to be deaf for the rest of his/her life.

Since 2018, the Guatemalan Social Security Institute (IGSS) through its agreement with UNOPS, contributes to the treatment of congenital childhood deafness by contracting services for the treatment of profound bilateral congenital hearing loss through cochlear implantation and associated technical assistance.

Before this agreement, the affiliated children had few alternatives to be implanted: often it meant paying for it in the private sector. The cost of an implant ranges from Q150,000.00 without including therapies, guarantees, and changing parts, a price that most Guatemalan families find it difficult to cover.

Hyperacusis is hearing loss and when it occurs at birth, it occurs before speech develops. This affects the process of communicating with others as the opportunities for communication are reduced because the environment is rarely designed for the needs of a person with hyperacusis.

Dr. Carlos Figueroa, a Social Security otologist, mentions that there are factors that make childhood more prone to this condition: for example, complications during the prenatal period, history of being under mechanical ventilation for a long time at birth, or complications during childbirth. Figueroa mentions that 50% of children who have hyperacusis have had this type of problem in the prenatal period, and that the other 50%, have causes such as infections or genetic factors.

The cochlear implant provides an opportunity for a person to be able to listen and speak to join society and to have access to more education and job opportunities. When Social Security took the initiative to provide this service, a committee was established internally to determine the success of the implant in the patient. Dr. Figueroa mentions that 85% of the success of this surgery is rehabilitation, an important aspect to determine if the patient is a candidate or not is the motivation of the family to follow up, otherwise it does not help that the surgery is perfect.

The multidisciplinary cochlear implant committee at the Social Security studies aspects of the person to determine the prognosis of the implant and is composed of a social worker, a psychologist, a pediatric neurologist, a neonatologist, a surgeon otologist, and rehabilitation staff. This committee has institutionally strengthened Social Security, making the service effective and transparent.

UNOPS promotes Fair and Equitable Management, an approach that in this agreement with the IGSS reinforces good practices within the Social Security so that in 26 months, 40 surgeries will be performed on affiliated children who otherwise could not have had access to an implant. It is a scheme designed to achieve that all public spending maximizes sustainable profitability by placing at the center of operations the well-being and rights of the families of Social Security affiliates.

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