Help Ukrainians Regain Hearing After Explosions

UA Brokers Without Borders has been working to support patients with acoustic trauma since 2024. We began by helping hospitals that treat people with hearing damage caused by explosions, and gradually expanded this work into a more systematic program.

At the first stage, we provided specialized diagnostic and surgical equipment to several medical facilities treating patients with acoustic trauma. We also organized the first training activities for otolaryngologists from frontline regions.

At the same time, we assessed equipment and capacity gaps in otolaryngology centers and hospitals, mapped key needs, developed a national roadmap, and built partnerships with leading medical institutions. This work showed that Ukraine needs a comprehensive approach to treating acoustic trauma — from equipping leading otolaryngology centers and strengthening regional diagnostics to training specialists and supporting patients through rehabilitation.

This is why the next stage of our work focuses on creating a national training center at the O.S. Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.

Training Center at the O.S. Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology

At the O.S. Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology, we are helping create a dedicated space where otolaryngologists, otosurgeons, audiologists, and hearing rehabilitation specialists from different regions of Ukraine will be able to receive practical training in the diagnosis and treatment of acoustic trauma.

Renovation of the space and procurement of equipment are currently underway. We plan to hold the first training cycles in autumn 2026.

The goal of the center is to increase the number of specialists who can treat the consequences of blast-related hearing injuries. In the long term, this will help make quality care more accessible not only in Kyiv, but also in regional hospitals across Ukraine.

First National Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acoustic Trauma

An important milestone during this reporting period was the national scientific and practical conference “Diagnosis and Treatment of Patients After Acoustic Trauma,” which we organized in partnership with the O.S. Kolomiychenko Institute of Otolaryngology. The event took place on July 3–4 in Kyiv.

It was the first large-scale professional exchange in 12 years of war focused specifically on acoustic trauma — one of the most common injuries caused by explosions.

The conference brought together more than 150 specialists from over 80 medical institutions across 21 regions of Ukraine.

It became an important first step toward building shared national expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of acoustic trauma. The conference helped systematize the clinical experience Ukrainian doctors have gained during the war and opened a continued professional dialogue across different parts of the medical community.

Next Steps

Our next steps are to complete the training center and hold the first practical training cycles for specialists.

We will also continue raising funds for specialized equipment for hospitals treating patients with acoustic trauma and supporting the development of national expertise through future professional meetings of the medical community.

We are grateful to the GlobalGiving community and to everyone supporting this project. Your support helps Ukraine build a stronger system of care for people affected by one of the most common, yet often invisible, injuries of this war

Links:

• Training in Ear Microsurgery and Otoneurosurgery
• National Conference "Diagnosis and Treatment of Acoustic Trauma"