Loneliness is an urgent threat to global health.

According to The Guardian , on November 16th, the WHO decided to add "loneliness" to its list of urgent threats to global health. The agency also established the Commission on Social Connection – an international committee dedicated to studying loneliness.

According to WHO assessments, loneliness emerged in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which disrupted a wide range of economic and social activities, increasing the level of isolation for many people. This issue has also received more attention as more and more people realize the importance of mental health.

"[Loneliness] transcends boundaries and is becoming a global public health concern, impacting every aspect of health, well-being, and development," according to Special Envoy Mpemba.

Meanwhile, Dr. Vivek Murthy, head of the Committee on Social Connection, compared the health risks of loneliness to the harm of smoking 15 cigarettes a day, and even surpassed the risks associated with obesity and lack of physical activity.

According to Murthy, loneliness increases the risk of dementia in older adults by 50%, and also increases the risk of coronary artery disease or stroke. Currently, one in four older adults worldwide lives in loneliness.

According to a WHO report, loneliness has become widespread following the Covid-19 pandemic, causing serious health consequences for a quarter of the elderly and a seventh of adolescents worldwide.

According to The Guardian , 12.7% of teenagers in Africa face loneliness, double the 5.3% in Europe. Lonely young people tend to drop out of school, increasing their risk of depression and suicide.

"This issue doesn't just affect one country. This is a global threat that is being underestimated," Murthy emphasized.

"A lack of strong social relationships increases the risk of stroke, dementia, depression, suicide, and more," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

According to CNN , the "mental illness" of loneliness has recently attracted a great deal of attention in the field of public health . Last week, New York State (USA) selected therapist Ruth Westheimer as the state's first ambassador for loneliness. In 2018, the UK also appointed its first minister to address loneliness.

Minh Hoa (compiled from Thanh Nien and VietNamNet)

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