Einführung

Social isolation and loneliness are widespread. They may affect some 25% of the global population. Prevalence rates are often higher among younger people than among older people and higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Social isolation and loneliness have serious consequences for health. They increase the risk of mortality by 14–32%, similar to the increased risk posed by other known risk factors such as smoking, excessive drinking, obesity and lack of physical activity. Social isolation and loneliness also increase the risk of physical health problems (for example, stroke and cardiovascular disease) and mental health problems (for example, depression and dementia). Beyond health, and as was made clear by the COVID-19 pandemic, social connection is the foundation of well-functioning families, communities, societies and economies.

WHO is stepping up its work to address this issue, building on the increased awareness and policy priority of social connection. WHO has been compiling the evidence on interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness and, in November 2023, established the Commission on Social Connection, which aims to increase the political visibility and priority of social connection; to reposition social connection as a genuine global public health problem that affects all regions around the world and all age groups; and to scale up cost-effective solutions adapted to low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

To help with its work on this issue, WHO has established a Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection (TAG-SC). The TAG-SC’s 20 members will act as an advisory body to WHO on the issue of social connection and its impact on health and society. As the nature of social connection is complex and multi-faceted, special attention has been given to the composition of the TAG-SC, ensuring different sectors, disciplines and types of expertise are represented.

Functions of the TAG-SC

In its capacity as an advisory body to WHO, the TAG-SC shall provide technical advice in the following areas:

1. increasing the political visibility and priority of the issue of social connection, by identifying the determinants of such visibility and priority, and the mechanisms that can be used to reposition the issue as a genuine global public health problem affecting all age groups and regions around the world;

2. the technical content to be developed by WHO on social connection;

3. measurement and, more specifically, the development of a Global Index on Social Connection and its implementation in as many countries as possible, including: advising on the constructs to be measured; the instruments, scales, and items to measure them; existing data sources that can be used; modes of data collection; and methods of analysis, including methods for arriving at global, regional, and national estimates;

4. mapping and identification of effective interventions to promote social connection and reduce social isolation and loneliness, that can be the basis for scaling up interventions in countries; and

5. communication science in this area, particularly how to most effectively frame and represent the issue using different media, including social media.

For more information, please contact:
[email protected]