WHO is concerned about a cure for loneliness, which is considered the main disease of the century

The World Health Organization is creating a commission on social connections and making loneliness a global health priority. The new body will promote socialization and accelerate the expansion of solutions to combat loneliness in all countries. The plan is to help people deepen their communication skills.

WHO believes that the main disease of the 21st century is loneliness in society, and if this problem is not solved, humanity will face serious consequences.

The new Social Connection Commission will spend three years focusing on ways to address the global epidemic of loneliness, analyzing the latest science and developing strategies to help people develop their social connections. She will also look at how socialization improves the well-being of our society as a whole and helps promote economic progress, social development and innovation.

Former US Surgeon General and panel member Dr. Vivek Murthy argues that “for too long, loneliness has existed in the shadows, unseen and underappreciated, leading to mental and physical illness. Now there is an opportunity to change that.”

As reported by CNN, the issue of loneliness has been receiving a lot of attention in the health sector lately. In November, the US state of New York welcomed its first “honorary ambassador of loneliness” (sex expert Dr Ruth Westheimer, who aims to help New Yorkers cope with social isolation associated with physical and mental health problems), and the UK has one The strange position has existed since 2018.

The health effects of loneliness are so far-reaching that one study compared its impact to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. And new data that prompted the committee’s emergence showed that social isolation can lead to poor physical health. People who lack communication are at higher risk of dying early.

Living alone has long been linked to cardiovascular problems and a 30 percent increase in the risk of stroke. Dementia may develop in up to half of people living alone. An isolated person is prone to bad habits such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and a sedentary lifestyle.

Scientists believe the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the “loneliness epidemic.” According to psychiatry professor Ryan Patel, although humans are social creatures by nature, they need practice to help them become better communicators.

Patel believes that the term “hyperactivity” has unintentionally narrowed young people’s view of the world, so when they interact with others who may not share their viewpoints, they may find it difficult.

Isolation due to the coronavirus pandemic has limited the number of “softer, more casual social interactions” people would normally have, and the effects are still being felt, especially among young people who find social interaction a source of anxiety and worry.

In its statement, WHO emphasizes that social fragmentation can also lead to poor learning outcomes. For example, young people who experience loneliness in high school are more likely to drop out of university. It can also lead to poorer economic outcomes: a lack of support at work can lead to decreased job satisfaction and productivity.

“Young people are not immune to loneliness. Social exclusion can affect anyone, any age, anywhere,” comments commission member and African Union Youth Envoy Chido Mpemba.

The survey, conducted in 142 countries and published in October, found that nearly 1 in 4 adult respondents reported feeling very or quite lonely. Children are also not immune to this feeling. Some studies have shown that more than half of children and adolescents felt lonely at least some of the time.

Google’s chief health officer Karen Desalvo hopes the new WHO panel will provide data that will help health systems around the world understand how to better address the link between loneliness and poor health outcomes such as heart disease.

“Social cohesion matters for healthy outcomes for people of all ages, wherever they are,” says Dr. Desalvo.