Ministry Of Health Records 1.3 Million ISPA Cases Due To Air Pollution This Year

Illustration of community activities using masks (ANTARA)

The Directorate General of Contagious Disease Prevention and Control (P2PM) of the Ministry of Health said there was no significant increase in cases of acute respiratory tract infection (ISPA) during this year's dry season which was affected by air pollution. Based on data from the Ministry of Health, the number of ISPA cases in May 2023 reached 1,515,070 cases, June fell to 1,305,185 cases, July fell again to 1,290,171 cases, while in August there was an increase to 1,387,650 cases.

Director of Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases of the Ministry of Health, dr. Imran Pambudi, quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, October 5, said the Ministry of Health had distributed vigilance letters related to mitigation of the impact of the ISPA. He explained several important points that became the Ministry of Health's mitigation steps, including increasing early detection of ISPA and pneumonia in all age groups as well as optimizing the discovery of pneumonia cases of toddlers at the puskesmas by calculating the breath of babies and toddlers who were coughing and or having difficulty breathing. In addition, the Ministry of Health carries out strict supervision of any findings of the ISPA and pneumonia cases. Related to this, every case finding will be reported and analyzed weekly by the ISPA Working Team. He appealed to the public to implement health protocols, routine air quality through applications or websites, use masks, reduce outdoor activities, and avoid sources of pollution inside or outside the home.

The Ministry of Health also increases the readiness of health services, such as offline and online consultation services as well as outpatient and inpatient services, both in primary and advanced health care facilities.

He said people who experience symptoms of cough and or difficulty breathing can immediately consult online or offline for further action from health workers. ISPA symptoms are a series of symptoms of disease, in the form of cough, runny nose, sore throat, dizziness, and sometimes fever. In poor ARI conditions, a person can experience bronchitis and pneumonia (pulmonary conditions).