Indonesia breathing issues spike to over 170,000 cases amid wildfire haze
Por Agence France-Presse — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Indonesia Asia Southeast Asia Indonesia breathing issues spike to over 170,000 cases amid wildfire haze
As blazes blanket some areas and neighbouring nations in toxic smog, oxygen canisters have been given out. Over 40,000 toddlers are affected
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Agence France-Presse Published: 9:02pm, 22 Sep 2026 Updated: 9:06pm, 22 Sep 2026
More than 170,000 respiratory cases were recorded in regions affected by haze in Indonesia, a health ministry official said on Tuesday, as the country continues its battle to control fires that caused the toxic smog.
Blazes in Borneo, Sumatra and Papua have blanketed parts of the vast archipelago of more than 280 million people with haze, as well as neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, sending air quality indices plummeting.
The toxic smog contains pollutants including PM 2.5, a fine particulate matter smaller than a human hair that could carry health risks such as respiratory infections, health ministry official Then Suyanti told a press conference.
“There were 174,694 cases of acute respiratory infections between August and September 21 in areas affected by forest and land fires,” she said.
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