How did this mission start?

The Audiology Team has been serving the people of Belize for approximately 20 years with the Belize Mission Project (BMP). The BMP is an annual mission trip originally conceived by a group of dentists over 30 years ago when they recognized the desperate need for dental care in the tourist town of San Pedro. Gradually, the BMP expanded to include primary care medicine, audiology, and optometry. When Dr. Edith Burns was invited to join the mission, she led the first audiology team of two people into the country for the Belize Mission Project. Over time, several more positions were added - a second audiologist, a nurse, IT support, and administrative/intake support. For the past four trips, Dr. Christine Belin has joined Dr. Burns in Belize and now a third audiologist, Dr. Tristan Lien, will be joining the team as well.

Our annual visits were interrupted by the COVID epidemic. Then the 2023 BMP trip was canceled. The Audiology Team quickly pivoted for 2024. We were able to join a different 501(c)3 organization, The Inter-American Health and Development Organization, led by a prior dental participant of the BMP, Dr. Tom Sentz.

Young Belizean girl getting hearing tested

Why is this mission important?

The country of Belize has no hearing healthcare - not one single audiologist practices in the country. The people must travel to Mexico or Guatemala for their hearing healthcare needs. However, the 2022 Belizean income per capita was only $6,630 so many residents cannot afford to travel. Children with hearing loss are often not identified until school age contributing to significant speech and language delays. The Ministry of Education’s Special Education Unit relies on us and other organizations to help them identify and differentiate the children with hearing loss from those with other special needs.

We see people of all ages in five 10-12 hour clinic days spread over three different locations - San Ignacio, Belize City, and San Pedro. The team members each pay their own way to Belize and the team asks for donations in order to bring all the necessary supplies for each person we care for on the trip and to cover a small amount of in-country travel between cities. We are 100% responsible for gathering what we need for a successful trip and we can’t do that without help from people like you.

Last year's trip was incredibly successful. The Audiology Team completed hearing tests on 100 people and fit over 50 people with donated hearing aids. They also dispensed PSAPs and PocketTalkers to those who were not ideal candidates for hearing aids. One gentleman with bilateral atresia (he was born without ear canals) was fit with a bone conduction hearing aid worn with a headband. This year, we are hoping to be able to complete hearing evaluations for 150-200 people and to fit 75-100 people with amplification devices.

What are the future plans for the team?

Our future plans include reaching out to the other organizations that serve in Belize to continue building contacts and coordination efforts. Our hope is to one day build a consortium of audiology programs in which we share information on hearing healthcare in Belize in order to provide continuity of care and services for the people in need all year long. At some point, we also hope to be able to integrate some form of telehealth in order to further support the program as a whole.

Supplies Needed for Belize 2025

(If you are able to provide any of these items directly, please reach out to us at HearingForBelize@gmail.com to coordinate. Thank you!)

To be loaned or donated:
- (1) Portable audiometer (with air conduction and bone conduction; as compact as possible) - Received
- (1) Portable immittance bridge (preferably with tympanometry, acoustic reflexes, and decay)
- (1) Portable otoacoustic emissions device (screening or diagnostic okay)
- (1) Portable REM system - Received
- (1) Otoscope (rechargeable or disposable batteries)
To be purchased or donated:
- VRA system to use and donate to the local Belizean community (used is okay!)
- (1) HIMSA Noah software license
- Hearing aid programmers and programming software
  - Noahlink Wireless (3) - Received
  - iCube II (3) - Received
  - Connexx Air (3) - Still need 2 more
  - Fitting Link (3) - Still need 1 more
- Programmable hearing aids (BTEs or RICs; goal of 200+ pairs) - Received but could still use more
- PocketTalkers (20+) - Received
- On-ear PSAP systems (20+)
- Welch Allyn specula (150+ pediatric size)
- Insert earphone tips (pediatric size) - Received
- Supplies to provide to those we fit with hearing aids:
  - HA batteries (312, 13, 675) -- we provide a one year supply of batteries to each patient. We still need:
    - Size 675 -- 100 ct
    - Size 13 -- 1000 ct
    - Size 312 -- 4000 ct
  - Currently need receivers, wax guards, and domes for the following donated RIC devices:
    - Oticon Opn and More
    - Phonak Venture, Belong, Marvel, and Paradise
    - Signia Pure PX and NX, and Styletto X
    - ReSound Linx Quattro, One, and Omnia
  - Hearing aid chargers - Still need 4 more Phonak chargers
  - Oticon grip tips (all sizes) - Received some but could use more
  - Surefire brand hearing protection (small and medium; to be repurposed as earmolds) - Received some but could use more
  - Hearing aid cleaning brushes - Received
  - Hearing aid battery testers
  - Hearing aid listening scopes

Hearing for Belize 2025

By Inter American Health and Development Organization

Hearing for Belize 2025

Bringing hearing healthcare to Belizeans in need.

Team Members