Celebration of World Hearing Day 2019 by Anwesha Kolkata

Anwesha Kolkata celebrated “World Hearing Day” on 3^rd March 2019 in order to raise awareness on “ Check your hearing! ” across the city through the following activities.

1. Press Meet: Eminent ENT specialists Dr. M.N.Bhattacharyya, Dr. Sudipta Chandra and Dr Anirudha Majumdar were invited at the meet to discuss about hearing health, the importance of early identification and intervention & Ear care. Ms. Snigdha Sarkar, President Anwesha Kolkata chaired the meet. It was a good session on creating awareness. Ms. Sarkar specifically highlighted the hearWHO app among the journalists and media professionals and urged everyone to download the app and use it. It was a well participated programme and over the next few days the news was published in 15 media, offline and online.
2. Inter College Debate Competition: A debate was conducted involving students of leading colleges in Kolkata at the Centenary Building Hall, Asutosh College on 1st March 2019. The topic for the debate was “Check your hearing!” 30 students from five colleges actively took part in the debate. The entire programme was supported by Asutosh College. The winners were awarded with trophy and certificates. Theother participants were awarded with certificates. The Vice President of the college highly appreciated the programme and said in his remarks that he was happy to have supported such an initiative. The 30 seconds film made by WHO and a two minute awareness film on noise induced hearing loss were screened.
3. Radio talk show was done on Red FM channel on 1^st March 2019. 
4.  "Awareness through Tableau" –The Kolkata Traffic Police extended support to the campaign by providing two tableaus. Anwesha Kolkata team along with hearing disabled youngsters took part in the campaign on 2^nd March 2019 to educate the public through question & answer session, meeting hearing health related queries and distributing leaflets (both in Bengali and English) on Ear Care and early identification of hearing loss through hearWHO app for those who can respond to the app. Our tableaus moved through various important junctions of Kolkata ( North via Central to South and central to south) and later joined the rally. 
5. Awareness Rally:  A rally was also taken out on 2^nd March 2019 from Deshapriya Park to Gariahat Crossing to raise awareness on hearing health. A brief programme was conducted on ear care, good practices for safe listening and hearWHO app. Then, the rally was flagged off at 4.30 PM by Sri Debasish Kumar, Hon'ble Mayor In Council, Parks and Garden, KMC. There were around 250 people that took part in the rally including members from different disability NGOs, college students and well-wishers joined the rally. It culminated with a human chain at Gariahat Crossing and all participants were given water and refreshments. The rally was supported by EMPI Alumni Network.
6. A TV talk show was organized at Tara TV News Channel on 4^th March 2019.
7. Two articles by an ENT Specialist and an expert in Disability Sector were written on hearing health which have been selected for publication in a Bengali Health Magazines.  An article was also published in a Bengali lifestyle web magazine. (http://unishkuri.in/fr/storydetails/-/unishkuristory/articleId-189978)
8. An awareness video on noise induced hearing loss is being screened on all 94 televisions in all metro stations across Kolkata throughout the day from 20^th February 2019 to 10^th March 2019.

Members of Anwesha Kolkata were happy to have made the efforts to create awareness on ear care and better hearing health on the occasion of World Hearing Day and hope to create greater awareness in subsequent years.

Media Coverage of WHD 2019:

• Anando Sangbad: http://www.anandosangbad.com/world-hearing-day-2019/
• Shubhabori :http://shubhabori.co.in/2019/02/world-hearing-day/
• Hollybollytolly: http://hollybollytolly.com/2019/02/28/anwesha/
• Hindusthan Samachar: http://www.hindusthansamachar.in/news/topnews/story/474207.html
• Karah Khabor: https://www.facebook.com/177617029076604/posts/1126768730828091/?app=fbl
• Salam Duniya :http://salamduniya.in/index.php/epaper/m/153382/5c78969c64dd4
• https://youtu.be/yPhjQHiIhR0
• Janarab: https://youtu.be/KYgrx_Q8XiU
• Upwords Magazine: https://www.facebook.com/upwordsmagazine/videos/442229329851309/?refid=12
• The Hans India : https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Health/2019-03-01/Todays-earphone-users-could-be-tomorrows-hearing-aid-users-Experts--/504939
• Economic Times :https://www.google.com/amp/s/health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/amp/news/diagnostics/todays-earphone-users-could-be-tomorrows-hearing-aid-users-experts/68229769
• Kolkata Today : http://kolkatatoday.com/lifestyle/health/eminent-ent-specialists-dr-anirban-biswas-do-anirudhha-bhattacharya-dr-sudipta-chandra-dr-mn-bhattacharya-and-dr-utpal-jana-discuss-about-hear-loss-in-a-press-meet-organised-by-anwesha-kolkata/
• Indianewengland : https://indianewengland.com/2019/03/todays-earphone-users-could-be-tomorrows-hearing-aid-users-experts/
• Channel 10 : https://youtu.be/c5wkNQ-WkSc
• The Times of Bengal : http://dhunt.in/5Gaq0?s=a&ss=wsp