Uganda, March 25 -- She was a few months shy of her third birthday but had never uttered a word. Her parents were concerned. They had another child, so they had a way of benchmarking. Although they understood that every child develops at their own pace with some taking long to start talking, this was still too long.

So, they went to an ear, nose, and throat doctor (ENT). The doctor's diagnosis showed that little Krista Akankunda Wanume may have a hearing impairment. However, he referred the family to Kampala Audiology and Speech Centre for a thorough check-up. Here, it was confirmed that Akankunda had profound hearing loss.

Profound hearing loss is a term used in audiology to refer to the most severe hearing impairment, followed by mode...