Air pollution poses a severe and growing health risk globally, especially to children in low- and middle-income countries like Indonesia. Rapid industrialization in Makassar has increased exposure to a complex mix of pollutants, which current guidelines, based on high-income country data, do not fully address.

This study integrates ground-based air monitors, satellite data, and clinical records from community health centers to establish local air quality profiles and investigate how short-term pollution spikes and pollutant combinations impact acute respiratory disease in children under ten. Using advanced statistical modeling and time-series analysis, the project aims to identify critical exposure thresholds and lag periods associated with respiratory illnesses such as asthma, pneumonia, and bronchitis.

Conducted in collaboration with Hasanuddin University, the research prioritizes community engagement and cultural sensitivity. Its findings will inform real-time air quality alerts, clinic preparedness, and policy development to improve pediatric respiratory health.

“This research sits at the intersection of planetary and human health, underscoring how environmental degradation directly impacts vulnerable populations,” said Allison Henning, a clinical scholar and postdoctoral researcher in the Stanford Department of Pediatrics, Critical Care Medicine. “By identifying pollution-related disease triggers in areas facing chronic environmental stress, we hope to inform public health responses and climate resilience strategies that prioritize the needs of the most affected communities.”

Principal Investigators:

Allison Henning, Clinical Scholar, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Pediatrics, Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University

Joelle Rosser, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine-Infectious Diseases, Stanford University

John Openshaw, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine-Infectious Diseases, Stanford University

Research Team:

Mehedy Hassan, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Medicine-Infectious Diseases, Stanford University

Eri Wijaya, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Public Health Sciences, Hasanuddin University

Ansariadi, Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology-Public Health, Hasanuddin University

Kavita Coombe, Laboratory Manager, Department of Medicine-Infectious Diseases, Stanford University

Funder:

Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health