Jakarta, 12 August 2026 — What happens when air quality data and health data are brought together?
That question shaped the Coordination Meeting on Strengthening the Integration of Air Quality and Health Data, held by the Research Center for Climate Change Universitas Indonesia (RCCC UI) together with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia.
The discussion emphasized a simple but important goal: surveillance should not stop at collecting data. Data must be transformed into evidence, recommendations, and action.
Opening the discussion, Prof. Budi Haryanto from Pusat Riset Perubahan Iklim UI highlighted the need to better connect air quality and health data, strengthen analytical capacity, and develop a surveillance system that can support evidence-based policy.
The importance of indoor air quality was further emphasized by Dr. dr. Then Suyanti, M.M., Direktur Kesehatan Lingkungan, Kementerian Kesehatan RI. The meeting highlighted that exposure to indoor and outdoor air pollution can affect health across the life course, with children among the particularly vulnerable groups. The SKUDR 2025 has already generated a substantial foundation, covering 52,669 households across 31 provinces.
Meanwhile, dr. Irma Gusmi from Direktorat Surveilans dan Karantina Kesehatan, Kementerian Kesehatan RI, introduced the Multisource Collaborative Surveillance (MSCS) approach. By bringing together information from different systems and sectors, surveillance can provide a more complete picture of health risks and strengthen early warning and response.
The discussion also identified an important next step for SKUDR: moving from measurement and reporting toward analysis and intervention. RCCC UI is planned to support a pilot study in five districts/cities, alongside capacity building, data analysis, and the refinement of technical guidance for air quality and health surveillance.
The meeting brought together a shared direction for future collaboration: integrate existing data, strengthen analytical capacity, develop practical guidance, and translate surveillance findings into interventions and policy recommendations.
For RCCC UI, this collaboration marks another step in connecting research, surveillance, and policy to better understand the health impacts of air pollution and support stronger public health action in Indonesia.
The goal is not simply to collect more data, but to make data matter.
