Two Million Deaths in Southeast Asia as Air Pollution Raises

Jakarta – Based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) in recent years, it's reported that the air quality conditions in the city of Jakarta fall into the unhealthy category, with an AQI of more than 150. 

In fact, recently it has been reported that Jakarta is the number three becomes polluted city in the Southeast Asia, according to IQAir. Obviously, this condition is very worrying and can have an impact on public health. 

Not only in Jakarta, but this condition also happens in other cities such as South Tangerang, Terentang, and Mempawah in West Kalimantan, Serang Banten, Bandjarbaru South Kalimantan, Palembang, and others.

Consultant pulmonary disease specialist, Dr. Nuryunita Nainggolan explained, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that currently, 92 percent of the world's population breathes air with poor air quality. 

"WHO stated that every year there are seven million deaths, of which two million in Southeast Asia are related to outdoor and indoor air pollution," she said in a virtual press conference on Friday. 

Nainggolan explained that air pollution is linked to lung and respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory infections (ARI), asthma, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. 

According to WHO data, worldwide air pollution contributes to 25 percent of all illnesses and deaths from lung cancer, 17 percent of all illnesses and deaths from ARI, 16 percent of all deaths from stroke, 15 percent of all deaths from ischemic heart disease, and 8 percent of all illnesses and deaths from COPD. 

Populations vulnerable to air pollution are children, the elderly, women, outdoor workers, and populations that already have lung or heart disease. 

"WHO states that air pollution has an impact on children such as 14 percent of children aged 5-18 years suffer from asthma associated with air pollution and there are 543 thousand deaths of children aged less than 5 years each year, due to respiratory diseases associated with air pollution," Nainggolan explained. 

Air pollution is also associated with the risk of ARI, decreased lung function, cancer risk in children, impaired mental and motor development, and cognitive impairment in children and adolescents.