A six year report into hearing health has found that thousands of Aboriginal children have outstanding referrals for specialist hearing appointments in the Northern Territory because services have been cancelled.
Hearing loss and ear disease is currently considered a public health emergency in the Northern Territory by the World Health Organisation, due to it affecting 12% of people in Aboriginal communities on average.
A Federal Department of Health spokesman said $500,00 in extra funding would be committed to Remote Area Health Corps in 2021, and an additional $4 million over three years would go to the Northern Territory Governments Healthy Ear Program.