Group Media Release

With World Hearing Day on March 3 approaching, Sonova Holding AG (SWX: SOON) is participating in global efforts to promote hearing health. Recognizing the significant impact of hearing loss, which affects nearly 1.5 billion people world-wide,¹ Sonova is committed to addressing this critical public health issue through continuous innovation and education efforts. This commitment also involves supporting the initiatives of its employee-led Hearing Loss Network.

Stäfa (Switzerland), February 27, 2025 – This year’s World Hearing Day theme, "Changing mindsets: empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!" encourages proactive steps for hearing health. By 2050, it is projected that more than 700 million people—about 1 in every 10—will experience disabling hearing loss¹, making hearing technology innovation essential. Over the past 30 years, the hearing instruments industry has made significant technological advancements, continuously improving user benefits and addressing unmet needs. As a global leader, Sonova has been at the forefront of these breakthroughs, introducing the first directional microphone technology, Bluetooth connectivity, rechargeable instruments, and AI for personalized fitting. Sonova’s latest platform Phonak Audéo™ Sphere Infinio employs real-time Artificial Intelligence to address the most pressing need of people with hearing loss: understanding speech in background noise².

Empowering employees and acknowledging their efforts

“At Sonova, our commitment to improving lives through healthy hearing is at the heart of everything we do,” says Arnd Kaldowski, CEO of Sonova and President of EHIMA, the European Hearing Instruments Manufacturing Association. “I am deeply grateful for the dedication and hard work of all our employees, including our many audiologists in our hearing care clinics and stores, as well as our product innovation experts. Their energy, expertise and passion drive our success as an innovative company and make a significant impact on the lives of those we serve. World Hearing Day is here to also underscore the importance of customer service and excellence in hearing care. This is why I want to extend a special Thank You to all colleagues who every day, take care so diligently of those in need of better hearing.”

In connection with World Hearing Day on March 3, the Hearing Loss Network, one of the main employee-led resource groups at Sonova, organizes events in different global locations to raise awareness about the importance of hearing care. Among the members of the Hearing Loss Network, Jacqueline Drexler shares her personal journey: “I take charge of my hearing health by using both a cochlear implant and a hearing aid and surround myself with a network of allies.” She adds, “Inspired by my own experiences and the encouragement I received is why I chose to become an audiologist so I can help others better navigate their hearing loss journey.”

The critical role of hearing health

Hearing health is vital for social, emotional, and cognitive well-being. Addressing hearing health unlocks a wealth of benefits that improves mental clarity, interpersonal relationships, and overall physical well-being, helping people feel more connected and secure in their environment³. Using hearing aids improves auditory clarity⁴, empowering individuals to engage in a more active social and physical life⁵, nurture brain health^6,7, and ultimately enriching health-related quality of life⁸.

Despite these benefits, hearing health is often not taken seriously, leading to untreated hearing loss which can impact quality of life¹. Raising awareness and promoting proactive hearing care are essential steps towards mitigating this issue. Read more about how to prevent and recognize hearing loss, and find resources to share important messages around hearing loss awareness:

Sonova: https://www.sonova.com/en/world-hearing-day-2025

World Health Organization: https://worldhearingday.org/
 

¹World Health Organization. (2021). World report on hearing. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available at: 
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240020481. Last accessed: February 2025
²Wright, A., Seitz-Paquette, K., Kühnel, V., Latzel, M., Keller, M., Miller, A., Hobi, S., & Launer, S. (2024). Improving speech understanding and listening effort for complex environments with a novel noise reduction system [Scientific Poster]. Phonak Field Study News. https://www.phonak.com/evidence 
Real-time AI means that the AI DNN (Deep Neural Network) has been trained on sound samples to separate speech from background noise by processing the audio signal in real-time. This approach is fundamentally different from the use of AI for sound or acoustic scene classification, which is used in current hearing aids in the market. The real-time AI signal processing is performed by the DEEPSONIC™ chip, which is included in the Phonak Audéo Sphere Infinio platform together with the Phonak ERA™ chip.  
³Vercammen, C., Ferguson, M., Kramer, S.E., Meis, M., Singh, G., Timmer, B., Gagné, J-P., Goy, H., Hickson, L., Holube, I., Launer, S., Lemke, U., Naylor, G., Picou, E., Scherpiet,S., Weinstein, B., & Pelosi, A. (2020). Well-Hearing is Well-Being: A Phonak Position Statement. Hearing Review, 27, 18-22. 
⁴Ferguson, M. A., Kitterick, P. T., Chong, L. Y., Edmondson‐Jones, M., Barker, F., & Hoare, D. J. (2017). Hearing aids for mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (9). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012023.pub2
⁵Holman, J. A., Drummond, A., & Naylor, G. (2021). Hearing Aids Reduce Daily-Life Fatigue and Increase Social Activity: A Longitudinal Study. Trends in Hearing, 25, 23312165211052786. https://doi.org/10.1177/23312165211052786
⁶Lin, F. R., Pike, J. R., Albert, M. S., Arnold, M., Burgard, S., Chisolm, T., … Coresh, J. (2023). Hearing intervention versus health education control to reduce cognitive decline in older adults with hearing loss in the USA (ACHIEVE): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 402(10404), 786–797. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01406-X
⁷Sarant, J. Z., Busby, P. A., Schembri, A. J., Fowler, C., & Harris, D. C. (2024). ENHANCE: a comparative prospective longitudinal study of cognitive outcomes after 3 years of hearing aid use in older adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 15, 1302185.
⁸Chisolm, T. H., Johnson, C. E., Danhauer, J. L., Portz, L. J., Abrams, H. B., Lesner, S., ... Newman, C. W. (2007). A systematic review of health-related quality of life and hearing aids: final report of the American Academy of Audiology Task Force On the Health-Related Quality of Life Benefits of Amplification in Adults. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology, 18(2), 151–183. https://doi.org/10.3766/jaaa.18.2.7

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About Sonova
Sonova is a global leader in innovative hearing care solutions: from personal audio devices and wireless communication systems to audiological care services, hearing aids and cochlear implants. The Group was founded in 1947 and is headquartered in Stäfa, Switzerland.

Sonova operates through four businesses – Hearing Instruments, Audiological Care, Consumer Hearing and Cochlear Implants – and the core brands Phonak, Unitron, AudioNova, Sennheiser (under license) and Advanced Bionics as well as recognized regional brands. The Group’s globally diversified sales and distribution channels serve an ever growing consumer base in more than 100 countries.

In the 2023/24 financial year, the Group generated sales of CHF 3.6 billion, with a net profit of CHF 610 million. Over 18,000 employees are working on achieving Sonova’s vision of a world where everyone enjoys the delight of hearing.

For more information please visit www.sonova.com.

Disclaimer
This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside Sonova’s control. Should one or more of these risks or un-certainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sonova undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.