Note! Six Groups of Children Most Vulnerable to Illness from El Niño-Driven Heat
The El Niño phenomenon can increase health risks for children. The Indonesian Paediatric Society (IDAI) notes that hot and dry weather caused by El Niño can trigger a range of illnesses such as dehydration, heatstroke, diarrhoea, acute respiratory infections (ARIs), and pneumonia.
Dr Darmawan Budi Setyanto, head of IDAI’s Environmental Health and Climate Change Task Force and a paediatrician specialising in respiratory medicine, says air pollution also directly affects children’s immune defences. As a result, children are more vulnerable to exposure to germs and bacteria that cause illness.
‘Air pollution directly weakens mucosal defences. The immune system is compromised, natural defensive mechanisms are reduced, so bacteria and germs can more easily enter the body,’ Dr Darmawan said during an IDAI webinar observed in Jakarta on Tuesday (19/6/2026).
According to Dr Darmawan, there are six groups of children most vulnerable to illness from El Niño heat, as follows:
- Infants under 2 years old
The first group is babies under two years old who are still in the first 1,000 days of life. This period is a critical window for brain and body growth. According to Dr Darmawan, exposure to pollutants such as PM2.5 not only attacks the respiratory system but can also enter the bloodstream and affect the development of the central nervous system including the brain.