A Silicon Valley county declared loneliness to be a public health emergency. San Mateo County found that 45% of its residents said they were suffering from loneliness. AdvertisementA wealthy Silicon Valley county in California has become the first in the US to declare loneliness a public health emergency. Stephen Lam/Getty ImagesIn San Mateo County, Canepa has proposed several ideas to combat the problem, including making neighborhoods more walkable. San Mateo County, with over 700,000 residents, in the San Francisco Bay Area, includes part of Silicon Valley.

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Persons: —, David Canepa, Vivek Murthy, Murthy, Stephen Lam, Canepa, Jennifer Steele Organizations: Facebook, YouTube, Electronic Arts, Service, Supervisors, NBC News, San Mateo, NBC, San Locations: San Mateo County, Silicon, California, California's San Mateo County, Japan, New York, San Mateo's, San Francisco Bay, Francisco, Silicon Valley