NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker's personal views and understanding of loneliness, social media, and health which warrant further scientific investigation. Several claims currently lack sufficient scientific support. We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfDr. Iza Correll asserts that loneliness is not just painful, but life-threatening. It increases all-cause mortality rates and is now recognized as a major public health concern. As founder of OVI Children’s Hospital, Kenya’s first and only long-term pediatric care facility for abandoned and critically ill children, she has seen how the emotional pain of isolation can be harder to heal than the most advanced cases of disease.In her TEDx talk, Why We Are Lonely, Iza combines scientific research with moving stories from her work to show how loneliness has evolved from a biological signal into one of the most urgent crises of our time. A Doctor of Medical Science specialized in global health, US PA-C, UK Hall of Fame inductee, and the youngest recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship, she brings both passion and lived experience to the stage, challenging audiences to see connection as a biological need. Dr. Iza Correll is the founder of OVI Children’s Hospital, Kenya’s 1st and only long-term pediatric care facility of its kind. OVI provides free care for children with terminal illnesses or debilitating conditions who have been abandoned or rescued from environments unable to meet their needs. Patients receive 24/7 medical treatment, daily therapies, and the love and comfort every child deserves. The hospital’s model is built to make children feel safe and valued, focusing on healing bodies but also on mending broken hearts. Iza’s mission is to create a world where no child feels alone. She leads a growing team expanding their hospital system across Kenya.Iza holds a Doctor of Medical Science degree in global health, is a dually licensed US Physician Associate & Kenyan Clinical Officer, UK Hall of Fame Inductee & the youngest recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Global Citizenship, an honor she shares with President Jimmy Carter and Michael J. Fox. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx