Unaddressed demand in LMICs
The unmet need for assistive technology is significant in LMICs and can be illustrated through the following examples.
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Globally, 1.6 billion have hearing loss, with 430 million having moderate to severe loss. However, more than 80 per cent lack access to hearing aids or related products.
Based on this study, only an estimated 45,000 units of hearing aids were procured annually from major non-governmental organizations
(NGOs), corporate foundations, global procurement services and surveyed governments in LMICs.9
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65 million people globally live with amputations, however, more than 80 per cent lack access to suitable prostheses. This study showed that only 25,000-30,000 units in total
were procured in LMICs from major NGOs, social enterprises and surveyed governments per year, with a heavy reliance on NGOs.
- In the case of vision impairment, 2.6 billion people have myopia and 1.8 billion have presbyopia globally, yet 64 per cent lack access to spectacles or related products. This study showed that about 10-15 million spectacles and
related products are procured annually by NGOs and social enterprises, with 80 per cent of procurement through the private
sector.