Antara News·Indonesia·Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 04:41 AM UTC

UI plans study on long-term health effects of forest fires

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Mecca YNP, Rahmad Nasution

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Universitas Indonesia (UI) and its Occupational Medicine Master's Alumni Association (ILUNI MKK) plan to study the lasting health effects of forest and land fires on workers and communities to strengthen evidence-based health protection.

UI Faculty of Medicine Dean Anna Rozaliyani said in Jakarta on Saturday that human health must be central to environmental protection and forest fire response. She called for coordinated action to translate scientific knowledge into practical safeguards.

"This is about health, safety and the future of our generations. We must go beyond reacting to disasters by strengthening exposure prevention, early health risk detection and appropriate follow-up through scientific evidence and cross-disciplinary collaboration," she said.

The planned study will assess health conditions one to three months after fire incidents, focusing on lingering respiratory symptoms and other health complaints associated with exposure.

The research will be coordinated by the Occupational and Environmental Health Cluster at IMERI, the Faculty of Medicine's research institute, and its Department of Community Medicine. Findings are expected to inform education, screening and health monitoring for affected groups.

The one-to-three-month observation period represents the study's planned scope and does not, by itself, cover all potential long-term health effects.

By integrating education, research and community service, UI aims to strengthen medical science's contribution to public health and promote coordinated, sustainable prevention and management of health effects from forest and land fires.

In the same presentation, Nastiti Kaswandani, a member of the Indonesian Pediatric Society's (IDAI) Respirology Working Group, said exposure to forest fire smoke can cause health problems beyond acute respiratory illnesses.

"Children chronically exposed to smoke face risks of permanent impaired lung growth, persistent asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, potentially contributing to stunting and affecting brain development and cognitive function," she added.

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