Malaysia Sees Surge in Asthma, URTI amid Haze

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August 24, 2026 | 06:10 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said on Sunday, August 23, that a sharp spike in asthma and upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) cases has been recorded as haze continues to affect several areas across the country.

Ongoing monitoring indicates that asthma cases jumped by 259 percent, while URTI cases rose by 124 percent during the 32nd and 33rd epidemiological weeks from August 9 to August 22, Dzulkefly noted during a press conference.

"URTI recorded the highest number at 3,674 cases, an increase from 1,637, while asthma cases reached 219 compared with 61 cases," he said as reported by Antara.

Dzulkefly highlighted that seven areas registered unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings as of 8:00 a.m. local time on Sunday. Five of these regions were located in Sarawak State on northern Borneo: Serian (197), Kuching (185), Sri Aman (178), Samarahan (176), and Sarikei (128). The remaining locations were Sungai Petani in Kedah State and Taiping in Perak State, both logging API readings of 126.

Under the national air quality scale, an API reading of zero to 50 is categorized as "good," 51 to 100 as "moderate," 101 to 200 as "unhealthy," 201 to 300 as "very unhealthy," and 301 or higher as "hazardous."

Addressing heat-related illnesses, Dzulkefly noted that 90 cases were recorded during epidemiological weeks 30 to 32 (July 26 to August 15), comprising 71 cases of heat exhaustion, 14 cases of heatstroke, and five cases of heat cramps.

The minister further urged the public to stay vigilant, limit direct sun exposure, and seek immediate medical care upon experiencing symptoms.

Read: Indonesia: Over 3 Million Suffer from Haze, Gov't Urges Masks

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