Wildfires cause respiratory infections to double in Indonesia
Respiratory infections in Indonesia have doubled in one week due to hazardous haze from intense wildfires. The government has deployed medical personnel and supplies to assist the millions of people exposed to the pollution.
Why it matters
The surge in health issues underscores the severe public health and environmental impact of the current wildfire season, exacerbated by El Niño.
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Fires have been blazing across vast stretches of forest and peatland throughout the country, causing hazardous emissions to surge, particularly in the hardest-hit provinces on the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan.
espiratory infections caused by hazardous wildfire pollution in Indonesia have more than doubled in just over a week, data from the country's health ministry showed on Thursday.
This year's wildfire season is the most intense in 11 years as "super-El Ni o" weather conditions drive up temperatures and cause punishing droughts. Fire emissions from the country now account for a third of the global total.
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