WHO Open call for the Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection

Call for Experts – Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection

Deadline: Friday, 3rd November 2023; 23:59 CET 

The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking experts to serve as members of a Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection. 

Social isolation and loneliness - forms of social disconnection - are widespread globally, across regions and age groups. They have serious impacts on mortality and physical and mental health. Social connection also plays a critical role in the development, security, prosperity, and governance of communities and wider society.

Scientific work in the last 20 years has demonstrated this beyond doubt. And the COVID pandemic brought home to many the importance of social connection. These issues have been rising up the policy and public health agendas in many countries. But currently a global response to and global leadership on this issue are lacking.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has, therefore, decided to step up its work on this issue. It will, among other things, establish a Global Commission on Social Connection. WHO aims to increase the political visibility and priority of the issue; to reposition it as a genuine global public health problem that affects all regions around the world and all age groups; and to compile the evidence on what works and scale up cost-effective solutions adapted to low-, middle-, and high-income countries.

To help with this work, WHO is establishing a Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection and issuing an open call for experts. If you are interested in applying, please see here for more information.

The Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection, composed of up to 20 experts, will act as an advisory body to the WHO Secretariat on the issue of social connection and its impact on health and society. The Technical Advisory Group on Social Connection will be expected to meet approximately two to three times a year, usually virtually but also periodically in person. It will also establish smaller working groups focusing on specific issues which will meet virtually. The working language of the group will be English.

If you have any questions about this "Call for Experts", please write to Dr Daniel Surkalim (surkalimd@who.int ) or Dr Mikton Christopher (miktonc@who.int ).

Further details: here