World Hearing Day2026 · Date · History · Messages · Quotes
About World Hearing Day
World Hearing Day is held on 3 March each year to raise awareness about hearing loss and to promote ear and hearing care around the world.
WHO develops evidence-based advocacy resources for the day and works with Member States, civil society and other partners. The annual campaign theme can change, while the 3 March date remains stable.
Why World Hearing Day matters
Hearing care includes prevention where possible, early identification, treatment of ear conditions, rehabilitation, assistive technology and communication access. The right response depends on the person and cause of hearing difficulty.
Awareness content should not diagnose hearing loss from symptoms or recommend a specific hearing device. It can instead explain when professional assessment and accessible communication may be useful.
History of World Hearing Day
WHO’s historical timeline traces the observance to 2007, when the Beijing Declaration established International Ear Care Day. By 2012, WHO recorded the 3 March observance under the International Day for Ear and Hearing Care name.
The date 3 March was selected because the numerals 3.3 can represent two ears. In 2016 the observance was marked under the name World Hearing Day.
In 2017, World Hearing Day was established as a WHO-led health day through resolution WHA70.13. The guide now preserves the earlier ear-care identity as explicit predecessor history.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
International Ear Care Day / International Day for Ear and Hearing Care
The 3 March ear-care observance was marked under the World Hearing Day name in 2016 and was established as a WHO-led health day through WHA70.13 in 2017.
World Health Assembly
World Health Assembly resolution WHA70.13
First documented observance
WHO’s official timeline states that 3 March 2016 was observed as World Hearing Day after earlier observance under ear-care names.
The 3 March observance was marked under the name World Hearing Day, following earlier International Ear Care Day / International Day for Ear and Hearing Care usage.
World Health Organization (WHO)
Established World Hearing Day as a WHO-led health day within the broader World Health Assembly action on prevention of deafness and hearing loss.
World Health Assembly · WHA70.13
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Hearing Day is a WHO-led health day.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
Predecessor and precursor observances
Earlier or merged observances are kept separate from former names and later institutional actions.
Later institutional actions
Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.
Also known as
World Hearing Day
How to Observe World Hearing Day
Run an accessibility check for captions, quiet spaces, assistive listening and communication options at an event or workplace.
Share current information about professional hearing assessment and local services from a competent health authority.
Teach safe-listening principles using WHO material rather than arbitrary volume rules copied from social media.
Include Deaf and hard-of-hearing perspectives and avoid assuming that everyone shares the same communication preferences.
Keep diagnosis, hearing-device selection and treatment recommendations with qualified professionals.
World Hearing Day Facts
World Hearing Day is observed on 3 March.
WHO traces the observance to the 2007 Beijing Declaration and the earlier name International Ear Care Day.
The 3.3 date was chosen because the numerals can represent two ears.
The name World Hearing Day was used for the 2016 observance.
In 2017 it was established as a WHO-led health day through WHA70.13.
World Hearing Day Messages
Marking World Hearing Day with care means learning from credible sources and making space for the voices and experiences of people most affected.
Today, may World Hearing Day turn attention into informed action, empathy and support that lasts beyond a single day.
On World Hearing Day, may awareness be matched by compassion, reliable information and practical support for people directly affected.
World Hearing Day is a reminder to listen without stigma, share trustworthy information and treat every person with dignity.
On World Hearing Day, share reliable hearing-care information and encourage inclusive communication.
World Hearing Day Quotes
“You can take steps today to ensure good hearing health throughout life.”
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Health Information Not Medical Advice.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
World Health Assembly — WHA70.13, 31 May 2017 (opens in a new tab)
World Health Organization — World Hearing Day timeline (opens in a new tab)
World Health Organization — World Hearing Day (opens in a new tab)
Dedicated Authoritative Page
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Hearing Day?
3 March The documented recurrence rule is: 3 March.
Does World Hearing Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is World Hearing Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: World Health Organization global health observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Hearing Day?
The reviewed sources identify World Health Assembly as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as World Health Organization (WHO).
Is World Hearing Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: World Health Organization global health observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-05.
Why is World Hearing Day on 3 March?
WHO’s historical timeline says 3.3 was selected because the numerals can represent two ears.
Has it always been called World Hearing Day?
No. WHO traces the observance to International Ear Care Day in 2007; the World Hearing Day name was used in 2016.
When did it become a WHO-led health day?
WHO states that World Hearing Day was established as a WHO-led health day through resolution WHA70.13 in 2017.
Can this page diagnose hearing loss or recommend a hearing device?
No. Diagnosis, hearing assessment and device selection require qualified care appropriate to the individual.
How this differs from closely related observances
These distinctions use the cited evidence to clarify scope without treating related observances as identical.
Is World Hearing Day the same as International Day of Persons with Disabilities?
World Hearing Day on 3 March is a WHO campaign focused on ear and hearing care, hearing loss and communication access. The 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities addresses disability inclusion broadly across many conditions and experiences.
Open International Day of Persons with Disabilities →Distinction sources
Other observances on March 3
These observances are also listed on March 3, 2027.
303 Day
Roland describes 303 Day as the TB-303 celebration day observed every year on 3 March and documents the inaugural 303 Day on 3 March 2019.
Global Omega-3 Day™
GOED states that it created Global Omega-3 Day™ on March 3 and continues to coordinate the campaign; its 2022 annual report calls 2022 the second annual edition, supporting a 2021 first edi…
Hina Matsuri / Doll’s Festival / Girls’ Day
The Japan National Tourism Organization describes the third day of the third month as the annual Hina Matsuri or Doll’s Festival/Girls’ Day celebration in Japan.
International Irish Whiskey Day
Creator and professional-profile evidence identifies Stuart McNamara as creator, with conception in 2016; a Galway Town Hall Theatre programme documents the launch in March 2017, while curr…
Martyrs’ Day
Malawi government material states that Martyrs’ Day is observed annually on 3 March to honor those who sacrificed their lives for freedom and self-rule.
Mother’s Day
Article 30 of Georgia’s current Labour Code lists March 3 as Mother’s Day among statutory holidays; the Public Defender states that the date has been celebrated in Georgia since 1991.