A new hearing aid, Evolv Ai was launched today, with the hope of helping the more than two million people suffering from hearing loss in Kenya. The hearing aid is designed to help users hear well even in the most challenging listening environments bringing a new era of effortless hearing, effortless connection and effortless selection.
Some of the features include a 40 per cent reduction in noise energy compared to previous technology, Fall Alert and Voice Reminders at all technology tiers, Additional refinement of Edge Mode, Thrive usability enhancements and TeleHear™ first and follow-up fit additions, among others.
“Evolv AI is built on Starkey Sound™, a ground-breaking technology created by years of refining Starkey’s research and science-based algorithms to power high-fidelity audio, modelled after the human auditory system. Like the brain, Starkey Sound is designed to automatically suppress background noise and designed to increase speech audibility and intelligibility with machine learning technology,” said Starkey Hearing Technologies Managing Director Nitin Gupta.
According to the W.H.O over 5 per cent of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or one in every ten people – will have disabling hearing loss.
Speaking during Starkey Hearing Technologies’ launch, the world’s most advanced hearing aid, Evolv AI, Director of Clinical Services, Ministry of Health, Manasseh Bocha, says the expected rise is attributed to low screening for hearing loss, as Kenyans shy away from getting tested. “It is important that every Kenyan gets tested to know their hearing status; we are currently doing a feasibility study to find out current statistics about the prevalence of hearing loss and its effects on the community; the report will be out in three months,” he said.
“When unaddressed, hearing loss impacts many aspects of life at an individual level, children with hearing loss and deafness often do not receive schooling. Adults with hearing loss also have a much higher unemployment rate,” said Eva Mwangi, senior audiologist, Starkey Hearing Technologies.
