Aid for those with hearing problems still insufficient

BEIJING - The majority of China's 27 million hearing-impaired people have difficulty accessing hearing aids and rehabilitative services, a senior expert revealed.

Less than 10 percent of the hearing impaired in urban areas are using hearing aids, while only 6 percent of their counterparts in rural areas are benefiting from the equipment, said Bu Xingkuan, director of World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for the Prevention of Deafness and Hearing Impairment.

More than 70 percent of people who are hearing impaired are older than 60, official statistics show.