loneliness carries risks as deadly as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, the world health organization has declared.
it’s a “pressing health threat,” the who said, explaining loneliness “transcends borders and is becoming a global public health concern affecting every facet of health, wellbeing and development, according to african union envoy chido mpemba.
mpemba and u.s. surgeon general dr. vivek murthy are co-chairing the who’s newly-formed, international commission on social connection, a coalition of 11 leading health advocates and policymakers.
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their three-year mission involves combatting the isolation plague accelerated by covid-19 lockdown measures.
who claims one in four older people suffer social isolation while 5-15% of adolescents experience loneliness.
the who’s new commission comes on the heels of a new study by the university of glasgow in scotland that found not socializing with friends or family could increase the risk of dying early by 39%.
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loneliness kills: as bad for health as 15 cigarettes a day, who says