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Deborah Peter Lehmann Richmond AO, MBBS, MSc MBBS MRCP(UK) FRACP Honorary Emeritus Fellow Head, Vaccine Trials Group Honorary Emeritus Fellow Head,

The majority of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter referred to as “Aboriginal”) people live in urban centres. Otitis media (OM) occurs at a younger age, prevalence is higher and hearing loss and other serious complications are more common in Aboriginal than non-Aboriginal children. Despite this, data on the burden of OM and hearing loss in urban Aboriginal children are limited.

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), sometimes referred to as chronic otitis media (COM), is a chronic inflammation and often polymicrobial infection (involving more than one micro-organism) of the middle ear and mastoid cavity, characterised by ear discharge (otorrhoea) through a perforated tympanic membrane.

The Ear and Hearing Health team's vision is all children start primary school with good hearing.