Running for three years, the commission will analyse the central role that social connection plays in improving health for people of all ages and outline solutions to build social connections at scale. It will consider how connection enhances community wellbeing and helps foster economic progress, social development, and innovation.

Social isolation – having an insufficient number of social connections, and loneliness – and the social pain of not feeling connected are widespread. Contrary to the perception that isolation and loneliness primarily affect older people in high-income countries, they impact the health and wellbeing of all age groups across the world. One in four older people experience social isolation and the rates are broadly similar in all regions. Among adolescents, between 5 and 15 per cent experience loneliness, according to research findings, but these figures are likely to be underestimations.

Co-chaired by US surgeon-general Dr Vivek Murthy and African Union youth envoy Chido Mpemba, the Commission consists of 11 leading policymakers, thought leaders and advocates.

“High rates of social isolation and loneliness around the world have serious consequences for health and wellbeing,” said WHO director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “People without enough strong social connections are at higher risk of stroke, anxiety, dementia, depression, suicide and more. This WHO Commission will help establish social connection as a global health priority and share the most promising interventions.”

Lack of social connection carries an equivalent – or even greater – risk of early death as other better-known risk factors, such as smoking, excessive drinking, physical inactivity, obesity, and air pollution. Social isolation also has a serious impact on physical and mental health, with studies highlighting its link to anxiety and depression and an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease.

The new WHO Commission comes at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic and its social and economic repercussions have undermined some people’s social connections. The body will set out a global agenda to strengthen social connection, raising awareness and building collaborations to promote evidence-based solutions and interventions.

“I’m thrilled to work closely with an outstanding group of Commissioners on advancing social connection – a vital component of wellbeing,” said Dr Murthy. “Together, we can build a world that is less lonely, healthier, and more resilient. Given the profound health and societal consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have an obligation to make the same investments in rebuilding the social fabric of society that we’ve made in addressing other global health concerns, such as tobacco use, obesity, and the addiction crisis.”

Social disconnection can also lead to poorer education outcomes, with young people experiencing loneliness in high school more likely to drop out of university. It can also lead to poorer economic outcomes, since feeling disconnected and unsupported in your job can lead to poorer job satisfaction and performance.

“Young people are not immune to loneliness,” Mpemba noted. “Social isolation can affect anyone, of any age, anywhere. Across Africa and beyond, we must redefine the narrative around loneliness. Investments in social connection are critical to creating productive, resilient and stable economies that promote the wellbeing of current and future generations.”

The Commission on Social Connection, supported by a secretariat based at WHO, will hold its first leadership meeting from 6 to 8 December 2023.