Social disconnection is as deadly as smoking and heart disease. The WHO now has a plan to help countries fight back.
![According to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO), from 2014 to 2019, loneliness was associated with more than 871,000 deaths annually - equivalent to 100 deaths per hour.[UIG/Getty Images]](/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/loneliness-1753438582.jpg?resize=270%2C180&quality=80)
Chido Mpemba
Co-chair, WHO Commission on Social Connection
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Social disconnection is as deadly as smoking and heart disease. The WHO now has a plan to help countries fight back.