Like every year, Udito Italia, on the occasion of the WHO World Hearing Day, brought together experts in Rome on February 28, 2025 for a major event to raise awareness of the importance of hearing health.

Hearing health is often overlooked. Yet, its impact on quality of life is enormous. Hearing loss, moreover, does not only affect older people: it affects young people and adults, undermining communication, social relationships and personal safety. Healthy hearing is not only a matter of physical well-being, but also psychological and social well-being.

The WHO estimates that by 2030 over 500 million people will have a hearing disability that requires rehabilitation.

Udito Italia, the Abruzzo non-profit organization founded in Pescara sixteen years ago, has always brought this problem to the attention of the institutions and on the occasion of World Hearing Day, celebrated on March 3 throughout the world and promoted by the WHO (World Health Organization), it brought together in the prestigious Sala della Regina of Palazzo Montecitorio all the major experts on the topic. The meeting, which Udito Italia organized for the tenth consecutive year, offered an important opportunity for discussion between representatives of the institutions, medical specialists, health workers, researchers, associations, companies and experts on various aspects related to the topic: hearing and road safety, the impact of the sound environment on health and acoustic protection in the workplace.

The President of Udito Italia, Valentina Faricelli, moderated the proceedings, supported by the journalist of RaiNews24, Alberto Puoti. The words of the actress Cinzia Leone moved the many people who crowded the Sala della Regina of the Chamber. Her testimony was particularly significant: in her life she faced a serious illness, overcoming it with determination and courage, and for this reason she became the spokesperson of a strong message on the importance of prevention and health, often underestimated. Present at Montecitorio for the institutional greetings were the vice president of the Social Affairs Commission of the Chamber, Luciano Ciocchetti and Marcella Marletta, former Director General of Prevention at the Ministry of Health. But also FIMMG, Confindustria Dispositivi Medici, Federazione Nazionale Ordini Professioni Sanitarie, ACI, FIA, Polstrada, and the Acoustical Society of Italy, represented by the President Patrizio Fausti and the Vice President Francesco Asdrubali, also contributed.

World Hearing Day involves hundreds of countries around the world. This year focuses on the importance of individual behaviors to protect hearing health. ‘Changing Mindsets: empower yourself to make ear an hearing care a reality for all’, urge the experts in Geneva, who on the occasion of March 3 call on all governments, health professionals and civil society to mobilize to recognize the importance of information and awareness.

The event of February 28th in Montecitorio was preceded, on the afternoon of February 27th, by the organization of working tables, in which the various experts discussed the various topics; the Italian Acoustics Association participated in the table on “Acoustic Well-being”, where the exposure of workers to potentially harmful noise levels and the use of personal protective equipment such as ear protectors were discussed, as well as the little-known topic, but which is causing growing alarm, of excessive noise levels associated with video games.