The world is suffering from a loneliness pandemic. That sounds like an overly dramatic statement, doesn’t it?
However, a year ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared loneliness to be a pressing global health threat, so it is a real and serious issue. So much so that the WHO has launched an international commission on the problem. The commission is led by the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy, and the African Union youth envoy, Chido Mpemba, and includes 11 advocates and government ministers, including Ayuko Kato, the minister in charge of measures for loneliness and isolation in Japan. The WHO Commission on Social Connection will run for three years.
This pandemic has reached such concerning levels in Japan that according to a report by the country’s National Police Agency, almost 40,000 people died alone in their homes during the first half of 2024! According to the UN, Japan currently has the world’s oldest population. The agency hopes its report will shed light on the country’s growing issue of vast numbers of its ageing population who live and die alone.
That is a heart-breaking statistic! On the African continent, elder parents and family members traditionally remain part of the family unit, so one would think this doesn’t affect us so badly, but sadly that isn’t true. While loneliness is often seen as a problem for developed countries, Dr Murthy said the rates of one in four older people experiencing social isolation are similar in all regions of the world.
Unfortunately, loneliness and isolation aren’t limited to the elderly. Mpemba warns that loneliness transcends borders and is becoming a global concern affecting every facet of health, wellbeing and development. “Social isolation knows no age or boundaries,” she said.
Young people are also affected worldwide. Between 5% and 15% of adolescents are lonely, according to figures that are likely to be underestimates. In Africa, 12.7% of adolescents experience loneliness compared to 5.3% in Europe.
Mpemba said that across Africa, where most of the population is made up of young people, challenges around peace, security, the climate crisis, and high levels of unemployment contribute to social isolation. “We believe it’s important to redefine the narrative surrounding loneliness, particularly for vulnerable populations excluded by the digital divide,” she said.
Everyone has felt lonely at one point or another… In the words of R.E.M: “Everybody hurts… sometime.” What makes this a pandemic that crosses borders and age gaps?
When people told Dr Murthy “I have to shoulder all of life’s burdens by myself,” or “if I disappear tomorrow, no one will even notice”, it was a lightbulb moment for him.
Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organisations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.
This is a very bleak situation, what can we do to be more connected?
Dr Murthy writes that each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an untapped resource—a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They can help us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives. Answer that phone call from a friend. Make time to share a meal. Listen without the distraction of your phone. Perform an act of service. Express yourself authentically. The keys to human connection are simple but extraordinarily powerful.
“If we fail to do so, we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being. And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone,” he says.
Let’s answer the call. Let’s reach out and connect, reconnect and rebuild a community that can end this pandemic!
