19 November 2023 , 10:39
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The World Health Organisation has stated that loneliness is a pressing global health threat - and can be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
US surgeon general Dr Vivek Murthy and African Union youth envoy Chido Mpemba are leading an international commission on loneliness and its mortality effects. The commission will include 11 advocates and government ministers with the aim of more deeply understanding the effects of loneliness on public health.
Following the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on social activity and interactions, the WHO decided to create the commission. “[Loneliness] transcends borders and is becoming a global public health concern affecting every facet of health, wellbeing and development. Social isolation knows no age or boundaries,” said Mpemba.
The commission includes Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of measures for loneliness and isolation in Japan, and Ralph Regenvanu, minister of climate change adaptation in Vanuatu. It will run for three years.
Dr Murthy says the health risks of loneliness can be as bad as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, resulting in a 30 percent increased risk of coronary artery disease or stroke and a 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia among older generations. One in four older people across the world are experiencing social isolation.
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And yet it is not only older people who suffer from the effects of loneliness, with between five and 15 percent of adolescents feeling lonely - with those figures expected to be underestimates. 12.7 percent of adults in Africa feel lonely, compared to 5.3% in Europe.
Loneliness can lead to poorer economic outcomes, partly as feeling unsupported in a job results in worse job satisfaction and performance. Young people experiencing loneliness at school are also more likely to drop out of university, the Guardian reported.
“We believe it’s important to redefine the narrative surrounding loneliness particularly for vulnerable populations excluded by the digital divide,” Mpemba said. Across Africa, she says, the population is facing major challenges regarding security, the climate crisis, unemployment - and these are contributing factors to social isolation.
“These issues don’t affect one country … [Loneliness] is an underappreciated public health threat,” Murthy said. “For too long, loneliness has existed behind the shadows, unseen and underappreciated, driving mental and physical illness. Now, we have an opportunity to change that.”
Chief health officer at Google and member of the WHO commission Dr. Karen DeSalvo said: “People can easily get in the margins and get isolated, and it affects their health outcomes.” While someone may receive medical help for a chest problem, it is more difficult for them to get better in the long term if they are socially isolated when discharged.