Jakarta has once again been shrouded in air pollution that falls into the unhealthy category for the last few weeks. It was so bad that Jakarta had the titleThe city with the worst air quality in the worldIQAir version. This condition has become a matter of public concern, considering the large health impacts lurking on residents of the capital city.
Numbers that keep turning red
Jakarta's air quality index (AQI) has consistently been above 120 in recent days, far exceeding the moderate category threshold. On Monday, July 20 2026, the AQI touched 164 with a PM2.5 concentration around 14.8 times above the WHO standard. The following day, that number fell to 137, still in the unhealthy category for vulnerable groups.
The DKI Jakarta Environmental Service has even had to recommend that its residents limit outdoor activities. It is not only vulnerable groups of children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic diseases who are at risk, but also the general public if they are continuously exposed.
Drought, Congestion, and Mounting Emissions
Reporting from Metro TV, the Director of Applied Climate Services at the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) explained that there are two big factors that overlap. First,dry seasonwhich has been happening since May has made the atmospheric dynamics of the capital city tend to be stable with calmer winds. As a result, the atmospheric layer becomes lower, so that emissions, transportation and human activities more easily accumulate near the ground surface instead of being dispersed into the air.
Meanwhile, according to IQAir, other causes are closely related totraffic congestionsevere cases and the return to normal commuting activities after the long holiday. In general, sources of air pollution come from motor vehicle emissions in dense urban areas, industrial activities, and the burning of fossil fuels, to emissions from coal-fired power plants in and around Jakarta. Not to mention seasonal pollution such as biomass burning and forest fire smoke which worsens the capital's skies.
This 'achievement' also made Jakarta top the list of most polluted cities in the world several times, beating Kinshasa (Congo), Santiago (Chile), Kolkata (India), Wuhan (China), Delhi (India), Johannesburg (South Africa), Karachi (Pakistan), Kathmandu (Nepal), and Hangzhou (China).
Not Just Shortness of Breath, Pollution and TB Are Interrelated
The impact of air pollution on respiratory health has long been in the spotlight, but what often goes unnoticed is its link to tuberculosis (TB), an infectious disease which is still a huge burden in Indonesia. Data from the Ministry of Health notes that Indonesia is ranked second in the world for the number of TB cases, and West Java is recorded as the province with the most pulmonary TB cases nationally.
Medically, long-term exposure to fine particles such as PM2.5 can weaken the ability of macrophages in the lungs, immune cells which function to ward off pathogens, including bacteria.Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chronic irritation of the airways due to pollution also reduces the effectiveness of mucociliary clearance, so that the body becomes more susceptible to new TB infections and reactivation of latent TB in people who have previously been exposed to the bacteria but are not yet sick.
A lung specialist from the University of Indonesia Hospital, Gatut Priyonugroho, explained that the impact of pollution can be felt gradually. In the short term it triggers bronchitis and coughing, while in the long term it actually reduces the body's resistance so that germs including TB attack more easily.
In other words, air pollution is not only a short-term enemy that makes the eyes sore and the throat itchy, but also a silent risk factor that can worsen the course of TB disease. In the long term, these two public health issues have often been handled separately.
Responding to this condition, Communication Manager of Stop TB Partnership Indonesia (STPI), Iman Zein, reminded that the impact of pollution should not be underestimated. "Jakarta's worsening air quality is not just a matter of momentary shortness of breath, but also a long-term threat to the lungs, including increasing the risk of tuberculosis, which is still a major health burden in Indonesia. We hope that this condition will improve soon. While waiting, we invite residents to wear masks when doing activities outside, monitor air quality, and not ignore a cough that lasts more than two weeks, which could be a sign of TB that needs to be checked immediately," he said.
How to Protect Yourself from Air Pollution
In the midst of air conditions that have not yet improved, there are a number of simple efforts that Jakarta residents can take to protect themselves, including:
Reduce outdoor activities while pollution is still high
Wear a mask that can filter the air, such as an N95 or similar.
- Monitor air quality through applications such as IQAir, JAKI, or the Jakarta Air website before doing outdoor activities.
- Use an air purifier in the house while avoiding opening windows or doors for too long.
- Maintain your body's fluid intake by drinking water regularly, increasing your consumption of water-rich fruit, and avoiding excessive caffeinated or sweet drinks.
- Reduce burning of waste and prefer public transportation to private vehicles for short distances.
- Plant more shade trees around the house.
Apart from that, try not to linger in areas with dense vehicle fumes, don't ignore symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, sore eyes or dry throat, and avoid exercising too close to busy roads.
Reference:
https://www.iqair.com/id/air-quality/indonesia/jakarta
https://www.iqair.com/id/newsroom/jakarta-among-top-10-most-polluted-cities-in-the-world-6-1-20267
https://ayosehat.kemkes.go.id/bahaya-polusi-air-bagi-kesehatan
