A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals a troubling trend: Africa is now recognized as the loneliest continent on Earth. The global report, released this past June, showed that loneliness—nearly a quarter of people on the continent (24%) reported feeling lonely—is at crisis levels in Africa. Among them, adolescents aged 13 to 17 are the worst impacted group. This significant issue raises questions about the impact of urbanization and changing cultural norms on social connections across the continent.
The results have already generated polarized responses amongst the experts. It’s because the commission had Dr. Cleopa Mailu—a member of the commission and former health minister of Kenya—who at first rejected the notion that loneliness was even a concern across Africa. He figured it just wasn’t that widespread. He stated, “My initial reaction [to the findings] was one of rejection,” indicating a reluctance to accept loneliness as a significant problem within the cultural context of African societies. Mailu highlighted that loneliness is an invisible and untold phenomenon in African societies. Due to this, there is a huge lack of awareness about how prevalent it is and the impact it has.
Psychologist Lateefat Odunuga supports these conclusions. She points out that the rate of urbanization is very quickly changing Africa from a history of collectivism to a more individualistic society. This transformation, she contends, is destroying the social infrastructure cultivated by the indigenous subsistence lifestyles long practiced in the region. “There’s a lot of unemployment, drug abuse, mental health issues. We’re seeing a lot of young people dying [by] suicide,” she cautioned, highlighting the dire consequences of social isolation.
The rising cost of living is another major factor contributing to the loneliness epidemic all around Africa. As new financial pressures set in, opting to stay home becomes an appealing decision for many. They don’t attend cultural events or social functions. This reluctance only serves to further isolate them from future connections with their peers.
Macyleen, a young woman from South Africa, provides a glimpse into this worsening epidemic of loneliness. She lives with three half-siblings who are much older, adding to her sense of isolation. Though living in the home of her family brought many advantages, Macyleen struggles to feel socially included. She’s committed to growing her small business and taking care of four kids on no outside support. If anything happens, then I have to be the mother and the father [to my kids]. It gets really lonely on top of that, especially because I’m afraid to look for a husband. “Who do you know that you could go to and feel comfortable or confident in trusting?” she said, painting a picture of the personal cost.
This is the most encouraging finding of the WHO trending report for Africa. The continent’s urban population is projected to double from 700 million to 1.4 billion by 2050! This scale of urban growth poses challenges that may deepen feelings of loneliness unless new community connections are urgently strengthened. Countries such as South Africa have reported a decrease in loneliness of program participants, along with an impressive increase in social participation. This points to the idea that encouraging community involvement might be key to fighting loneliness throughout the continent.
In recognition of this increasing issue, new and creative strategies have developed to combat social isolation. One example of this is the Friendship Bench approach, pioneered by Dixon Chibanda in Zimbabwe. This innovative program trains community health workers to offer basic cognitive behavioral therapy to individuals in need. With its focus on scheduling activity and group accountability, this one-two punch may provide a deep cut to loneliness.
Lateefat Odunuga remains hopeful about the future, stating, “Depending on how committed we are to this work, there might be a future for us to tackle social isolation and loneliness.” However, she warns that without proactive measures to bring people together, “we are doomed. We’re going to have a lot of problems beyond mental health. It will be a disaster and a total shame to humanity.”