Nearly 17 per cent or one in six people worldwide is affected by loneliness, and the condition was linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour -- more than 8,71,000 deaths annually between 2014 and 2023, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 1. 

The report showed that while loneliness has significant impacts on health and well-being, strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life.

The WHO defines loneliness as the painful feeling that arises from a gap between desired and actual social connections, while social isolation refers to the objective lack of sufficient social connections.