August 28, 2025
The fourteenth in the series of Ideas@theHouse events, which are joint presentations of Her Excellency, The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, and the Royal Society of New South Wales, was held on the evening of Thursday, 28 August 2025, in the Ballroom of Government House, Sydney.
Professor Bamini Gopinath, the Cochlear Chair in Hearing and Health at Macquarie University, was the speaker on this occasion, addressing the topic of ‘Busting Myths, Bridging Gaps: Public Health Approaches to Hearing Loss in Adults.’ Her talk emphasised the critical need to address hearing loss and highlighted a range of initiatives and research efforts aimed at improving hearing health. Despite the high prevalence of adult-onset hearing loss, ear and hearing care are poorly integrated into health systems in Australia and globally. Public awareness, early detection, and evidence-based interventions are essential to reducing the stigma and improving health outcomes for millions affected by hearing loss. Her presentation explored the societal, psychological, and economic consequences of untreated hearing loss, emphasising the need to “bust myths” and reframe public narratives around it.
The presentation showcased landmark studies, including the first Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey, the Blue Mountains Eye and Hearing study, and HALOS (Hearing Impairment in Adults: a Longitudinal Outcomes Study), all aimed at providing high-quality data to inform better policy and service design. Professor Gopinath spoke of additional focus being given to innovative programs that seek to enhance service delivery, support, and information provided to adults with hearing loss, therefore enabling more equitable access to hearing care and interventions — including a current project that aims to train Meals on Wheels NSW volunteers to screen for hearing loss in clients as part of routine wellbeing checks. The presentation also discussed efforts to develop and implement national and global evidence-based guidelines for adult hearing loss management, calling for targeted advocacy, clear and stigma-free messaging, and coordinated policy action to support vulnerable populations and advance hearing health equity.
A recording of his presentation is now available on the Society’s YouTube channel, and a gallery of images from that occasion is available from the preceding link.
