We must treat loneliness ‘epidemic’ as an emergency

AN underexplored topic in today’s discourse is the “loneliness epidemic”, which has systematically questioned the integrity of our interpersonal and communal relationships across the world.

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) commission on Social Connection estimates that loneliness affects one in four older adults and between 5% and 15% of adolescents. In fact, the WHO has declared loneliness to be a “global public health concern”.