Respiratory Illnesses Surge Amid Forest Fire Smoke in Kalimantan, Over 70,000 Cases Reported

Cases of Acute Respiratory Infections (ISPA) continue to surge amid the ongoing forest and land fires (karhutla) in Kalimantan, Indonesia. In Central Kalimantan, the Health Office has recorded a total of 72,431 ISPA cases. Janang Firman Palanungkai, Director of Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) Central Kalimantan, stated that Palangkaraya City is the most affected, with 16,166 ISPA cases. Other affected areas include Kotawaringin Barat (12,467 cases), Kotawaringin Timur (7,982 cases), Kapuas (7,910 cases), and Sukamara (557 cases). "We convey that these five areas indeed have massive peatland areas and massive fires," he said during a press conference on Wednesday (9/9/26). Currently, the community needs smoke-free safe houses and masks to ward off the haze. The available aid is not commensurate with the number of affected victims. "We have distributed masks and oxygen aid to 29 villages. We have also provided two smoke-free safe houses, but it's not yet maximal," he added. He specifically criticized the government's handling of karhutla, deeming it insufficiently effective. The disaster has worsened after the status of karhutla emergency response was declared on August 31. The local government's move to deploy civil servants (ASN) for fire suppression has become a new issue, as they may not be equipped with protective gear or trained for firefighting. The haze in Pontianak City, West Kalimantan, has become thicker as of September 12, 2026. Photo: Tursih/Mongabay Indonesia The danger of karhutla smoke affects millions. Fachrial Kautsar, Head of Advocacy and Campaigns at the Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiative (CISDI), stated that particulates from karhutla are 10 times more dangerous to children's lungs than ordinary pollution. According to Ministry of Health data, between June and August, more than 50,891 ISPA cases occurred in seven provinces. Vulnerable groups such as pregnant women are also affected. This article was originally published on Mongabay