University of Alberta Edmonton, Canada 29 November 1996

Listen closely to the needs of others halfway around the world

U of A researcher integral player in project to help hard of hearing and deaf children of Zimbabwe

By Michael Robb

Organizers of a hearing health care project in Zimbabwe realized it wasn't enough to simply train health care workers in the prevention and detection of hearing loss and establish a laboratory in the country to fit, distribute and repair hearing aids. The legacy of the project had to be lasting. Teacher education, therefore, had to be part of the equation, so they turned to a University of Alberta professor for help.

The request just happened to coincide with Educational Psychology professor Mary Ann Bibby's sabbatical. "My responsibilities include meeting the educational needs: training teachers, working in the schools and developing programs in early intervention," explains Dr Bibby, a specialist in deafness studies.

The team has been awarded $300,000 US to carry out the work. It's funded by a 3H [Health, Hunger and Humanity] grant from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. The grant was applied for jointly by four Rotary districts: two in British Columbia, one in Alberta and one in Zimbabwe.

"We think we've covered all the bases for looking after the needs of deaf and hard of hearing children," she says. "We hope that in the end we can establish an early intervention program. Whatever money we spend must be sustainable, so the emphasis will be on education and training," she says, pointing out that teacher education will be a crucial component of the project.

The African country has five schools for the deaf, and problems other developed countries simply don't have to cope with. For example, by the time the rubella vaccine reaches people outside the major cities, its effectiveness is severely diminished. Cold storage facilities for the vaccine are inadequate. The viral infection, German measles, is a major cause of deafness. Middle ear infections often go untreated and there is a serious lack of medical personnel trained to do routine ear examinations and surgery.

This is not Dr Bibby's first time in the huge African country. Last summer, she delivered 12 boxes of books and equipment of 70 pounds each for the deaf and to the teacher training college. Those resources were paid for by the Edmonton Riverview Rotary Club, Rotary District 5360, the Wildrose Foundation and CIDA. The result, she points out, is the establishment of six excellent basic libraries, including five important journal subscriptions for the next three years. And connections between the University of Alberta, a leader in deafness studies in Canada, and Zimbabwe have been solidified with the return of one of Dr Bibby's recent graduate students, Albert Gwitimah, to his native country, Zimbabwe. He works at the United College of Education. "One of the reasons we were successful-only six out of 71 3H grant applications were awarded this year-was because of the groundwork we have laid," explains Dr Bibby. "Certainly, our previous work demonstrated to Rotary that we were serious."

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