Deadly Ears ear health program

Deadly Ears is a state-wide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ear Health Program to detect, treat and prevent glue ear.

Glue ear is a build up of 'gunk' in the middle ear. It's an easily treatable condition. But if left untreated, it can lead to lots of problems including temporary deafness, delays in learning to talk and ongoing learning problems.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are at high risk of getting glue ear. The Deadly Ears program has set up screening programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in rural and remote communities. It has also organised access to specialist services in:

• speech pathology
• audiology
• ear, nose and throat (ENT)

Better access to ear health in rural and remote areas

Screening programs have been held in Cherbourg, Woorabinda and the inner islands of the Torres Strait and the North Peninsula Area.

ENT clinics have been held in Cherbourg, Woorabinda, Eidsvold, Mornington Island, Doomadgee, Bamaga and Mt Isa. Minor surgery, such as grommet insertion, has been performed in hospitals and health centres in Kingaroy, Bamaga, Woorabinda, Rockhampton, Mornington Island and Mt Isa.

Training health care staff

Health care workers from the Torres Strait, Cape York, Woorabinda, Rockhampton, Cairns and Bundaberg have had training in the Deadly Ears program. There has also been a training program held at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.

The program has also increased public awareness of ear disease in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people in the Torres Strait Islands.

More information

For more information about the Deadly Ears program, contact your local health care worker.