Wildfire haze linked to child deaths and health crisis in Indonesia

In early October 2026, a 20-month-old girl in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, developed pneumonia after breathing thick wildfire smoke. Her parents took her to a private hospital, where an X-ray revealed an infiltrate in her left lung. Officials said the smoke was a contributing factor to her illness, as air quality in the city reached 'unhealthy' levels.

A day later, a 14-month-old baby in Samarinda, also in East Kalimantan, died suddenly after experiencing shortness of breath. Her family suspects the thick smog caused her death. Her grandfather described the incident as sudden and unexpected, noting she had no prior health issues.

Meanwhile, a 51-year-old volunteer firefighter named Nurdin died in South Kalimantan after developing chest pain and shortness of breath while fighting a fire. His colleagues reported he had been healthy before the incident and was given oxygen, but his condition worsened rapidly. A clinic doctor suspected smoke poisoning as the cause of death, though the exact cause remains undetermined.

The health crisis has spread beyond Indonesia, affecting neighboring countries such as Singapore and Malaysia. In Malaysia, upper respiratory tract infections and asthma cases increased between September 6 and 12. In Singapore, air quality remained unhealthy for 14 consecutive days.

Indonesia’s Health Ministry reported over 333,000 acute respiratory infection cases between August 18 and October 21 in the most affected provinces. More than 75,000 of these cases involved children under five. While the government has not released data on haze-related fatalities, local media have reported deaths of children and adults in smog-choked areas.

Critics argue the government failed to prepare for the crisis, despite warnings about an extreme El Niño event in March. The national disaster management agency’s budget was cut by 75%, limiting its ability to respond effectively.