For most of us, sound – laughter, music, the voices of loved ones – is effortless. Yet for millions around the world, silence has become an unwanted companion.
Twenty-nine years ago, Ekaterine Tortladze’s life changed when her child was diagnosed with hearing loss. Searching for answers, she found herself in a maze of uncertainty, with no clear information, no emotional support and few resources.
“What was missing was a place where patients and their families could turn not only for medical answers but also for compassion,” she recalls.
Determined to fill the gap, she founded Aures, an organization for young people with hearing loss and their parents. For nearly 3 decades, Aures has worked to make services more humane and holistic, focusing on individuals and families.
Ekaterine has seen how hearing loss isolates people. “They stop socializing and asking questions, they gradually withdraw from life,” she says. “But when a person hears again with the device, I feel the whole world should rejoice.”
“It feels like a miracle”
For Nana Gvarliani, deafness began in her teens and deepened after the birth of her third child. “It was not a peaceful silence – it was a roaring, buzzing void that consumed my energy,” she recalls. “I was exhausted and devastated from constant headaches.”
After more than a decade without answers, Nana heard that a cochlear implant might help. “I was terrified of surgery but took the leap. When I could finally hear again, it was like being reborn. My joy for life returned.”
Nana now travels regularly from her mountain village in Mestia for rehabilitation. “Every step is worth it,” she says. “I can talk to my children again. It feels like a miracle.”
“Sound gave me back my life”
Ten years ago, Elguja Zakareishvili, a craftsman, lost his hearing overnight. “I hated the silence,” he says. “I felt like half a person.” For years, he relied on his younger brother to communicate with clients, using written messages.
Everything changed when he learned that cochlear implants were available in Georgia, and covered by the state. “At first, I only heard noise,” he recalls. “Then voices, then conversations. When I heard music again, I wanted to shout with joy.”
He shares, “Sound gave me back my life. I want others to know that they can find it too.”
“I love school so much”
Six-year-old Lizzie began first grade this year – something her family once feared might never happen. Born profoundly deaf, she spoke her first words after receiving a cochlear implant at age 2 and a half. “I love school so much that I want to be a teacher,” she says proudly.
Her mother, Sophie, recognized the signs early and acted quickly. “I never treated her differently,” she says. “I talked, played and believed she could thrive with the right tools.”
At school, Lizzie’s teacher helped classmates understand how Lizzie hears with her device, creating an environment of understanding and inclusion. “Children are naturally accepting when things are explained to them,” Sophie says.
Early detection, training and awareness
The stories of Ekaterine, Nana, Elguja and Lizzie reflect the progress and challenges of ear and hearing care in Georgia and around the world.
Across the globe, more than 1.5 billion people experience some degree of hearing loss, and fewer than 20% receive the services they need. Unaddressed hearing loss costs nearly US$ 1 trillion each year in health, education and productivity losses. Yet up to 60% of childhood hearing loss can be prevented through simple public health measures such as early screening and treating ear infections.
In Georgia, progress is accelerating. With support from WHO and ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology, the country is expanding access to hearing aids, cochlear implants and rehabilitation – vital steps towards lifelong hearing care. WHO continues to work with national partners to strengthen early detection, workforce training and awareness so that no one is left behind.
If you or a loved one is experience hearing difficulties, seek professional help as soon as possible – early intervention changes lives. Learn more about hearing loss prevention via the links.