India, July 1 -- One in six people are affected by loneliness, with significant implications for health and well-being, according to a new report from the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

Loneliness is linked to approximately 100 deaths every hour - more than 871,000 deaths annually. By contrast, strong social connections are associated with better health and longer life, the UN health agency said on Monday.

WHO defines social connection as the ways in which people relate to and interact with one another. Loneliness is the distressing feeling that arises when there is a gap between desired and actual social relationships, while social isolation refers to the objective lack of social ties.

"In this age when the possibilities to conne...