World Hearing Day
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
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 it 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
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. v1.37 now preserves the earlier ear-care identity as explicit predecessor history.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
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
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
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
Ways to observe
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.
Useful 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.
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
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
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 use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Hearing Day?
3 March The stored recurrence guidance is: 3 March.
Does World Hearing Day fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is World Hearing Day an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies 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 the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Hearing Day?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies 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 record has international or global institutional scope: 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 layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record 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 are separately reviewed and source-backed. They clarify scope; they do not change either authority record.
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 records also resolve to March 3, 2027 under the current authority data.
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™
The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) identifies March 3 as Global Omega-3 Day and states that GOED created the campaign.
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
Drinks Ireland’s Irish Whiskey Association marks International Irish Whiskey Day on March 3, and established drinks-calendar guidance lists the same date for 2026.
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 Labour Code lists March 3 as Mother’s Day among statutory holidays.