Screening Technician Training Programme

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 HOPE-Hear has established the only universal newborn screening programme in the South African Public Health Sector. It is an initiative that was started with the University of Cape Town's Division of Audiology and is being managed by Dr Jessica McGuire and Prof. Lebogang Ramma. 

In Africa, a critical shortage of audiologists and speech-language therapists makes universal newborn hearing screening a challenge. With only around one audiologist per two million people, expecting specialists to handle screening, diagnostics, and rehabilitation is simply not feasible.

By training laypeople to conduct hearing screenings, we’re creating a cost-effective, scalable solution that helps build capacity within the system. Instead of audiologists screening every newborn, our trained technicians identify babies who need further diagnostics, freeing up specialists to focus on diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Our training programme, developed in alignment with guidelines from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), covers essential skills including basic anatomy, physiology, and practical screening techniques. Our programme ensures that technicians adhere to strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and remain within their scope of practice.

To date, we have screened over 10,000 babies, a milestone that would not have been possible relying solely on skilled audiologists. 

Prof. Claudine Storbeck; from The University of the Witwatersrand, the Centre for Deaf Studies, and Hi-Hopes; is a core team member as she has set up the only home-based early intervention programme for children with hearing loss in South Africa. The Neonatology Division, lead by Dr Natasha Rhoda, at Mowbray Maternity Hospital have been integral to this projects' success. 

Looking ahead, we’re excited to see the University of Cape Town (UCT) roll out this programme to train more screening technicians across South Africa. By scaling up newborn hearing screening and empowering trained professionals in multiple provinces, we are paving the way for accessible, efficient hearing care for all.