UK Prime Minister Theresa May today named to minister for loneliness for the first time after a report that nine million people in the country suffer from loneliness.
May presented the government’s plans to address loneliness and social isolation after accepting a series of recommendations from a commission created in honor of the murdered parliamentarian Jo Cox.
The commission’s investigation indicates that more than nine million people are always alone.
Around 200,000 older people in the country have not talked to any friend or family member in more than a month and about 85 percent of disabled young adults between 18 and 34 years of age feel alone.
May entrusted the Minister of Sport and Civil Society, Tracey Crouch, the task of leading the actions to address loneliness.
“For too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of life, I want to face this challenge of our society and of all of us taking measures in order to address the loneliness suffered by the elderly and their caregivers, by those who have lost loved ones and by people who do not have anyone to share their thoughts and experiences with, “said May.
May said that Jo Cox recognized the magnitude of loneliness in the country and that I have dedicated myself to doing everything possible to help those affected.
“I am happy that the government can build on its legacy with a ministerial leader for solitude who works to shed light on this issue and unite all the capes to create the first strategy in this regard,” she said.
For her part, Crouch said that “I am sure that we can make significant progress in defeating loneliness.” Loneliness can be triggered by some life event such as the loss of a person or becoming a parent and can occur in certain groups such as young people for their careers. ”
Mark Robinson, of Age UK charity, said that “loneliness can kill, it has been proven to be worse than smoking 15 cigarettes a day, but it can be overcome and it should not be a factor in the lives of older people.”
The initiatives include establishing indicators of loneliness for all ages with the Office of National Statistics (EN) so that the figures can be included in important research studies. Thanks to a special fund, the government will work to stimulate innovative solutions to avoid loneliness in all ages, all backgrounds and in all communities.
Jo Cox was a Labor MP murdered outside her Yorkshire office in 2016. Her killer, Thomar Mair, a subject linked to far-right organizations, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
