Ear conditions or hearing loss among Deadly Ears program participants
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12%
of First Nations children aged 0–14 in the eligible population accessed a Deadly Ears ENT clinic and were found to have an ear condition between 2021 and 2023.
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18%
of First Nations children aged 0–14 in the eligible population accessed a Deadly Ears audiology service and were found to have hearing loss between 2021 and 2023.
Information from service providers can provide insights into the level of ear conditions or hearing loss in the population.
The Queensland Government set up the Deadly Ears Program to reduce the high rates of middle ear disease and hearing loss among First Nations children in Queensland by providing a range of frontline services, such as ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinics and audiology, speech pathology and occupational therapy services.
About the data
In 2024, the Deadly Ears Program had clinical services in the following areas:
- Thursday Island
- the Northern Peninsula Area
- Palm Island
- Mornington Island
- Doomadgee
- Normanton
- Mt Isa
- Woorabinda
- Cherbourg.
Information about the number of services provided by the Deadly Ears Program can be used to estimate the level of ear conditions or hearing loss among the population of First Nations children aged 0–14 covered by these areas, that is, the ‘eligible population’.
This section reports information derived from the Deadly Ears data collection. Data are available from 2007 to 2023. Whether a child has a middle ear related condition is diagnosed by an ENT specialist, while whether a child has hearing loss is diagnosed by an audiologist.
Between 2021 and 2023, around 12% of First Nations children aged 0–14 (around 1,000 children) in the eligible population attended a Deadly Ears ENT clinic and were found to have an ear condition. The proportion of children in the eligible population who attended a Deadly Ears service and were found to have an ear condition varied by age: 14% aged 0–4 (around 375 children), 15% aged 5–9 (around 445 children), and 8% aged 10–14 (200 children) (Data table 1.2.4a).
Between 2021 and 2023, around 18% of First Nations children aged 0–14 (around 1,500 children) in the eligible population attended a Deadly Ears audiology service and were found to have hearing loss. The proportion of children in the population who attended a Deadly Ears service and were found to have hearing loss varied by age: 18% aged 0–4 (around 500 children), 22% aged 5–9 (around 640 children), and 13% aged 10–14 (around 355 children) (Data table 1.2.4b).