WHO declares loneliness a 'global public health concern'

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Guardian

Thu 16 Nov 2023 03.00 EST


The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness to be a pressing global health threat, with the US surgeon general saying that its mortality effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

WHO has launched an international commission on the problem – led by the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, and the African Union youth envoy, Chido Mpemba – of 11 advocates and government ministers, including Ralph Regenvanu, the minister of climate change adaptation in Vanuatu, and Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of measures for loneliness and isolation in Japan.

It comes after the Covid-19 pandemic halted economic and social activity, increasing levels of loneliness, but also amid a new awareness of the importance of the issue. The commission will run for three years. “[Loneliness] transcends borders and is becoming a global public health concern affecting every facet of health, wellbeing and development,” said Mpemba. “Social isolation knows no age or boundaries.”

The health risks are as bad as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than those associated with obesity and physical inactivity, according to Murthy. While loneliness is often seen as a problem for developed countries, Murthy said the rates of one in four older people experiencing social isolation are similar in all regions of the world.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/16/who-declares-loneliness-a-global-public-health-concern

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Link to WHO news release - WHO launches commission to foster social connection

[DFW]

1. Good for them!!

I’ve never been a victim, but I’ve known my wife now for 49 years, and if I lost her, I’d be a wreck. I don’t want to live alone, but I don’t want to live with anyone else, either. There IS no one else like her, despite what Clemençeau said.

[Redleg]

2. I bet that Pete and Roger have been lonely without Keith Moon and John Entwistle

I miss them too. On a serious note, I think this social isolation is going to continue and get worse for us as we spend more time online and less time out and about with our fellow humans.

[electric_blue68]

6. 😄 I can't believe I didn't get your joke right away...

Now you're talking to one of the more serious Who fans around, but...

one of my uncles worked for the W.H.O.! In fact he moved his family to Geneva to continue working for them when he'd started out in northern Virginia.

So my mind went to 💉🧫🔬W.H.O. first, and not to 🎸🎤🎸🥁 🔊 🎵🎶🎶
The Who. 😄 👍

Ty for the laugh. 👍

[Redleg]

12. It's good to help another Who fan pass the time

That's pretty cool about your uncle too.

[electric_blue68]

13. Ty,he was an interesting person! I also got to see The Who many times....

Was lucky for a long time to see a lot of bands/performers and my favorites a fair amount of times. 🎶👍

[appalachiablue]

7. +1

[bucolic_frolic]

3. When you're surrounded by MAGAts, loneliness is a powerful virtue

No, I'm not kidding.

[Farmer-Rick]

4. I thought the headline was a question

Who declares loneliness a 'global public health concern'?

I declare loneliness a 'global public health concern'.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. LOL

I wanted to use "W.H.O." but seems they even use the name without the periods that would show it's an abbreviation.

[electric_blue68]

9. I miss being out and about more bc I do get energy from the hustle, and bustle on the streets of NYC midtown....

The Village, Soho, Lower Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn, and more these past 3 years. But I am getting out more this past year.
(not talking about extreme crowding at any time past/present/future)

Trying to balance the concern of getting covid with the need to be back out there more (well, not so much late Nov/Dec - March but the warmer months). I probably will make one Midtown visit to see the Holiday decorations - but will glimpse the
🧡🎄🧡 Rockefeller Tree from afar.

I guess I'm somewhat an ambivert that leans strong towards extrovertism.

[electric_blue68]

10. OTOH I'm so glad for on line connections. If you hang around favorite interests sites for long enough...

you can create long time acquaintences, even friendships.

I love FB bc I get to see photos, and vids from family, and friends besides their text of what's going on. They share fun, interesting, and creative things besides their own news. Some of these people I don't always see bc of travel outside my home city. ($ issue mostly)
(I love phone calls, too.)

[sybylla]

11. This always has the feel of a made-up issue to this introvert.

My grands and great-grands always complained about never seeing their kids - to one kid usually right after another of their kids was just there or just on the phone.

Loneliness is a common part of loss and all of us of all ages lost lots during the last 4 years, including a million friends and family. Life is different now. Some people we used to spend so much time with waved their whole ass around during COVID/2021 politics that we just don't or won't or can't spend time with them any more.

My 91yo FIL never masks, has had covid twice, RSV once to the point he couldn't breath unless he was sitting up, and has coffee at his apartment for up to a dozen friends and family every Monday. His complaints of having no company before, during, and after covid have not changed.

We have to balance spending time with him against caring for my at-risk grandbaby and autistic grandchild because there is no fucking daycare available. People in my immediate family have jobs that cannot afford to have them out sick for 10 days like I was in August with covid.

I am sick to death of people in my family and circle of acquaintances not giving a fuck, to boot.

There are real problems. Loneliness is a freaking symptom, not a cause. Address the causes, and I'll get on board. Until then, it just seems to me they are pretending to make real change when real change isn't quite so fucking easy.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

14. Imagine how lonely everyone was before the internet and mobile phones, how did they survive?