New partnership between global healthcare innovators brings the gift of hearing to people in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan

March 3, 2024 – (Innsbruck, Austria): To mark World Hearing Day, a partnership between two international leaders in healthcare has been announced, which will see the Evercare Group and MED-EL join forces to provide people in Nigeria, Kenya, and Pakistan access to state-of-the-art cochlear implant care.

• Partnership announced between the Evercare Group and MED-EL to bring cochlear implant innovation and care to people living with hearing loss in Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan
• New data reveals that 1 in 4 people have never had their hearing tested

The Evercare Group, a specialist in high quality private healthcare in Africa and South Asia, and MED-EL, a global leader in hearing implant technology, have formed an important international alliance that will increase access to ear and hearing care services for thousands of people living with undiagnosed and untreated hearing loss.  With hearing loss on the rise and low awareness about its impact, the timing for this new venture is key.

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 5 people around the world live with hearing loss. However, in the latest global market research* conducted by MED-EL, a staggering 24% of people have never had their hearing tested, compared to just 8% who have yet to have a sight test.

To address this, the partnership aims to establish state-of-the-art ear and hearing care services at Evercare Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, and subsequently at other countries where Evercare operates. Each clinic will provide specialist care for people living with severe to profound hearing loss, including the latest cochlear implant innovations. World-renowned international surgeons will also visit the clinics to ensure patients receive the highest standards of surgical care and support the training of local experts.

Life changing impact of cochlear implants

Cochlear implants are innovative medical devices that replicate the sense of hearing for individuals who would otherwise be unable to hear. The implant bypasses the non-functioning hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea) and sends electrical sound signals directly to the hearing nerve and on to the brain so the person can hear. Samuel, a cochlear implant user from Nigeria, explained the life changing impact that regaining his hearing had: “Apart from hearing again, the implant gave me my confidence back and got me out of depression. It also helps me to interact and communicate with people easily. I no longer feel isolated when in a meeting or with a group of people. One of the highs of my cochlear implant experience was the joy I felt making my first phone calls to family and friends who live far away and hearing their voices.”

A lifetime of hearing care

Speaking of the partnership, MED-EL’s CEO Dr Ingeborg Hochmair commented, “Untreated hearing loss can have a detrimental impact on people’s overall quality of life, health, education, and social interactions. We are delighted to be working with the Evercare Group to bring together our unique expertise to ensure that more people can access quality hearing care and cochlear implant innovations to help them live a life full of possibilities.”

Mr. Irfan Khan, CCO, Evercare Group added, "Our collaboration with MED-EL marks a significant milestone in our mission to transform healthcare and provide advanced hearing solutions, fostering sustainable improvements in hearing health across emerging markets. As we join forces with MED-EL, a global leader in implantable hearing systems, our partnership unites international expertise and a shared vision for a sound future. By reversing health tourism and prioritizing affordability, we are making specialized healthcare accessible to all, while ensuring a sustainable impact through the training of local healthcare professionals. Together with MED-EL, we look forward to creating a lasting legacy that transcends borders and brings the gift of hearing to those in need." 

The new services will be introduced in 2024, with local announcements to follow.

Notes for Editors

*The online research was carried out in December 2023 and January 2024 by Research Without Barriers with 9036 participants in nine countries: Argentina, Austria, Colombia, Germany, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Slovakia and Spain.

About Evercare Group 

The Evercare Group believes access to healthcare is a fundamental right and invests in emerging markets to bring private, quality-driven healthcare to meet the needs of local people.
Evercare has responded to a global challenge to ensure well-being at all ages is provided to those living in emerging markets as a pillar to support sustainable economic development. With this, the Group is leading the way in transforming the traditional healthcare model through its integrated cross-continents platform, its impact-driven model, and quality-driven hospitals.
The Evercare Group operates as an integrated healthcare delivery platform in emerging markets across Africa and South Asia, including Pakistan, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Evercare is wholly owned by the Evercare Health Fund, a US $1bn emerging markets healthcare fund managed by TPG and backed by its global impact investing platform TPG Rise. The Evercare Health Fund is comprised of the world’s leading impact investors and global development finance institutions.

About MED-EL 

MED-EL Medical Electronics, a leader in implantable hearing solutions, is driven by a mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. The Austrian-based, privately owned business was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose ground-breaking research led to the development of the world’s first micro-electronic multi-channel cochlear implant (CI), which was successfully implanted in 1977 and was the basis for what is known as the modern CI today. This laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company in 1990, when they hired their first employees. To date, MED-EL has more than 2,700 employees from around 80 nations and 30 locations worldwide.

The company offers the widest range of implantable and non-implantable solutions to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 136 countries enjoy the gift of hearing with the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL’s hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, a combined electric acoustic stimulation hearing implant system, auditory brainstem implants as well as surgical and non-surgical bone conduction devices. www.medel.com   

CEO

Doz. DI Dr DDr med. h.c. Ingeborg Hochmair

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