Jakarta, March 2 -- Indonesia's Health Ministry on Monday urged parents and schools to prioritize children's hearing health, warning that untreated hearing loss could undermine the country's "Golden Indonesia 2045" development target.

Siti Nadia Tarmizi, director for non-communicable disease prevention, said the theme of World Hearing Day 2026 - "From communities to classrooms: hearing care for all children" - underscores the need for early detection and care.

She cautioned that untreated hearing problems can progress into permanent disabilities.

"A child's growth and development is not complete if the child cannot hear, preventing them from understanding instructions from parents," she said.

Hearing loss also disrupts language acquis...