The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and Raphael International announced that, ahead of the completion of the “Project to Improve the Hearing Test Environment for the Early Diagnosis of Hearing Loss among Residents of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia,” they held a performance sharing meeting in Ulaanbaatar on 2 December to present the results achieved over the past three years.

This project, an international health cooperation initiative jointly implemented by the two institutions, was carried out with the goal of promoting hearing health among Mongolian residents and establishing an early diagnosis system for hearing loss. Through this performance sharing meeting, Raphael International presented the key outcomes achieved during the project period and reaffirmed its commitment to cooperation on strengthening Mongolia’s healthcare capacity and establishing a sustainable hearing test system.

The project was implemented over three years from 2023 to 2025 and achieved various outcomes aimed at improving the quality of the hearing test environment in Mongolia and enhancing the expertise of medical personnel.

First, the project led to the development of a Mongolian standard word list and the establishment of a “Standard for Speech Audiometry.” KOICA–Raphael International, the Ministry of Health of Mongolia, and the Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology cooperated to prepare a speech audiometry standard that reflects the linguistic characteristics of Mongolian. This standard received official approval from the Mongolian Agency for Standardization and Metrology in November, thereby realizing standardization in the field of hearing tests in Mongolia.

Next, the hearing test environment at national and district hospitals was improved. Three national hospitals and three district hospitals in Mongolia were equipped with audiometers, hearing test booths, and impedance meters for tympanometry. Training was also provided to medical personnel on audiology theory and equipment calibration, improving the quality of auditory diagnosis.

Another major outcome was the strengthening of professional capacity through online audiology webinars for otolaryngologists and medical staff in charge of hearing tests at secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions.

Lastly, hearing loss prevalence surveys and hearing screening were conducted for approximately 3,000 adolescents and 1,200 adults across Ulaanbaatar, enabling an assessment of the status of hearing health by region.

Raphael International explained that through these activities, it has improved Mongolia’s hearing test infrastructure and created a standardized medical environment in which the Mongolian population can receive more accurate hearing tests.

“This project has contributed to improving early diagnosis of hearing loss and the quality of hearing aid and rehabilitation services in Mongolia,” said Sohn Jeong-hwa, Director of General Affairs at Raphael International. “It is highly significant in that, through the establishment of hearing test standards and training of medical personnel, it has laid the foundation for Mongolia to independently manage medical quality.”

Sohn added, “Through this performance sharing meeting, KOICA and Raphael International presented a sustainable cooperation model in the Mongolian healthcare sector and widely publicized the outcomes of international development cooperation in medically vulnerable areas, including the early diagnosis of hearing loss.”

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