JAKARTA – Persistent air pollution in Jakarta has triggered nearly 2 million cases of respiratory illness throughout this year, raising concerns over the long-term well-being of the capital’s 11 million residents and the 42 million residents of the greater Jakarta area, the most populous city in the world, according to new United Nations data.

As of October of this year, there were more than 1.9 million people in the capital that suffered from acute respiratory infections, with children accounting to nearly 20 percent of the number, according to the Jakarta Health Agency.

“In general, the high prevalence of acute respiratory infections is triggered by the combination of numerous factors, such as changing weather patterns, air pollution, high population density and human mobility in Jakarta, declining immunity and exposure to pathogens,” agency head Ani Ruspitawati told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

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