Services and Support
Ear health program
Healthy hearing with strong ears through AMSANT.
AMSANT’s ear health program supports member services to prevent and manage ear disease and hearing loss for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, young people and adults across the Northern Territory. We focus especially on conditions like otitis media that can cause hearing problems for children at a very young age and affect them throughout their lives.
We work alongside clinics, Aboriginal health practitioners, nurses, doctors, visiting specialists, schools and families to strengthen ear and hearing checks, follow-up and referral pathways. Ear health is embedded into routine primary health care, child health checks and school health work, so that hearing issues are found earlier and people can get the right support in the right place and at the right time.
What we do
The ear health program takes a whole-of-life, whole-of-service approach to ear and hearing care. We support services to promote healthy ears, identify problems early and connect people to hearing and ear, nose and throat (ENT) services when needed. Our work stretches from health promotion and education through to screening, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management of ear conditions.
Why this program matters
Ear disease and hearing loss are major issues for Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory and across northern Australia. Conditions like otitis media often begin early in life and may continue for many years if they are not picked up and treated properly. This can affect how children hear language, yarn with family, learn at school and stay connected to culture and community.
Without strong ear health systems, children are more likely to be misunderstood as ‘disruptive’ or ‘not listening’ when they simply cannot hear what is being said. By improving ear and hearing care through primary health services, schools and community-based activities, the ear health program helps to support better health, education, social and employment outcomes for Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory.
Our focus areas
The ear health program works with services to strengthen prevention, early detection and treatment of ear disease. We support the development and implementation of ear health models of care, screening protocols and referral pathways between primary health care, audiology, ENT services and hospitals. Training and mentoring are provided so that staff feel confident to identify ear problems, use ear screening equipment and support families through the care journey.
The program also focuses on community and school-based activities that promote healthy ears and strong listening. This includes supporting health promotion resources and school screening programs, and working with local educators and communities to make sure messages about ear health are culturally appropriate and easy to understand. Our work is closely linked with continuous quality improvement so that ear health care keeps getting better over time.
How we support member services
We provide tailored support to member services, combining remote and face-to-face assistance as needed. This can include planning sessions to map out ear health pathways, training for health workers in ear and hearing assessment, and support to integrate ear checks into routine child health and chronic disease clinics.
Who we work with
- Aboriginal community controlled health services and other AMSANT member services across the Northern Territory
- Aboriginal health practitioners, nurses, GPs and other clinicians involved in child, family and chronic disease care
- audiologists, ENT specialists and visiting ear and hearing service providers
- early childhood services, schools, teachers and support staff involved in children’s learning and development
- government departments, NT PHN and other partners working to improve ear and hearing health outcomes for Aboriginal people.
Our impact
Through the ear health program, AMSANT is helping services to:
- increase the number of children and adults receiving regular ear and hearing checks
- detect ear disease and hearing problems earlier, so treatment and support can start sooner
- strengthen pathways between primary health care, audiology, ENT and specialist hearing services
- improve awareness among families, schools and communities about the importance of ear health and hearing.
Over time, this work contributes to better hearing, stronger engagement at school, improved social participation and better long-term health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal children, young people and adults.
Current projects & initiatives
Ear and hearing health workshops
coordinating and supporting practical workshops in places to build the skills and confidence of primary health care staff in ear and hearing care.
Ear and hearing assessment equipment support
helping services access and use ear and hearing assessment equipment for babies, children and adults, and integrating these tools into routine care pathways.
School and early childhood screening support
working with member services, schools and early childhood services to support local ear and hearing screening programs and follow-up pathways.
Ear health models of care and pathways
supporting services to review and strengthen their ear health models of care, including clear pathways between primary care, audiology, ENT and specialist services
Health promotion and community education
supporting development and sharing of culturally relevant ear health resources and community education activities to promote strong ears and strong listening from early childhood onwards.
Resources & downloads
Ear and hearing screening tools, clinical guidelines for otitis media and hearing loss, checklists for integrating ear health into child health checks, school and early childhood ear health resources, and patient education materials about ear care and hearing are available. National ear health campaigns and training programs commonly used by services are also available.
Get in touch
To find out more about the ear health program, upcoming training or support for ear and hearing care in your service.