Cyprus Mail 13 December 2020 - by Gina Agapiou
For the 15th consecutive year, telecoms company Cyta is launching a campaign supporting the detection of congenital hearing loss in newborns by supporting the free screening programme of the center for preventive paediatrics.
The authority helped secure part of the necessary equipment when the programme started in 2005, while it continues to support the cause through various actions.
This year, special boxes were put up in all Cyta stores nationwide selling telecommunication accessories at the discounted price of €1 to collect money “so that every child can enjoy the right to communication,” as the authority stated;
“That’s what we believe in. It is something close to our heart, as communication is our object of focus,” the Head of Public Relations, Press Office and Social Networks at Cyta Alexia Yiallouridou told the Cyprus Mail.
The special boxes are marked with a small sign indicating the price and a brief on the purpose of the donation. The telecommunication accessories, including screen covers and screen protectors, are compatible with previous model devices, still widely in use and will be available for sale until the end of the month.
As from last year, Cyta collaborates with the Cyprus postal services and donates €1 for every child’s letter to Santa. Actions in previous years included the Santa marathon run and the sale of designer sweatshirts.
“Apart from the financial support, our contribution also aims at promoting the work of this programme,” Yiallouridou said.
Hearing loss is one of the most frequent issues presented in new-born babies, said Director of the Center for Preventive Paediatrics Patroula Hadjipapa.
According to data published on the website of the center one in 500 children is born with congenital hearing loss.
“Because the existence of hearing mechanisms is directly connected with the ability to develop speech, any abnormality in these mechanisms during the first months of life delays the development of speech. This implies additional negative consequences on the communication of those children later in life,” Hadjipapa explained.
Therefore, timely diagnosis is crucial to avoid implications and maximise children’s potential to develop similar communication and social skills as hearing children.
Apart from new-born hearing screening, the charity organisation also provides mothers with a free prenatal screening programme to detect for chromosomal abnormalities and a neonatal program to detect metabolic diseases, namely that of congenital hypothyroidism and phenylketonuria.
The center was established in Limassol in 1988 and currently operates offices across the island.
