Mission to Cambodia: Training to Better Support Deaf Children

From October 23 to November 3, 2024, two faculty members from the Faculty of Pharmacy’s Audiocampus participated in a mission to Cambodia in collaboration withthe association Enfants Sourds du Cambodge (ESC).

The ESC association, which has been active for nearly 25 years, provides hearing aids to deaf Cambodian children, but follow-up care for these devices remains a major challenge due to the lack of local support services.

Training Local Professionals

In 2022, ESC approached the Audiocampus in Montpellier to develop a hearing aid fitting training program in Cambodia. Two students from the Master’s program in Sensory and Motor Neuroprosthetics—Thomas Dubois in 2022 and Daphnée Yin in 2023—participated in ESC’s missions to fit children with hearing aids and develop hearing tests.

In 2024, Professor Jean-Luc Puel and Mr. Jean-Charles Ceccato took another step forward by providing training in hearing aid fitting to special education teachers at the National Institute of Special Education (NISE), who work directly with deaf children. At the conclusion of the program, a pilot diploma in Audiology Technology was awarded, marking a significant step forward in the care of children who wear hearing aids.

Toward an International University Partnership

This mission also laid the groundwork for a collaboration with the Phnom Penh University of Health Sciences. The goal is to jointly develop a bachelor’s degree program in Audiology, with support from Audiocampus.