A Silicon Valley County Becomes First To Declare Loneliness As A Public Health Emergency

Loneliness has been formally recognised as a health crisis in San Mateo County, California, situated in the San Francisco Bay Area and encompassing a portion of Silicon Valley.

The county's Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution declaring loneliness a public health emergency, committing to come up with initiatives aimed at fostering social connections within the community.

This milestone makes it the inaugural county in the United States to take such a step.

The resolution, introduced by Board of Supervisors' Vice President David Canepa, doesn't allocate funds for loneliness reduction programmes. Instead, it underscores the county's dedication to tackling the issue and acknowledges residents' experiences.

He mentioned that his team discussions on the connections between loneliness, smoking, and diabetes, as well as an advisory from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy emphasising on strategies for enhancing social connections, influenced his decision.