(1) Background: This study aimed to quantify the health and economic impacts of air pollution in Jakarta Province, the capital of Indonesia. (2) Methods: We quantified the health and economic burden of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and ground-level Ozone (O₃), which exceeds the local and global ambient air quality standards. We selected health outcomes which include adverse health outcomes in children, all-cause mortality, and daily hospitalizations. We used comparative risk assessment methods to estimate health burdens attributable to PM_2.5 and O₃, linking the local population and selected health outcomes data with relative risks from the literature. The economic burdens were calculated using cost-of-illness and the value of the statistical life-year approach. (3) Results: Our results suggest over 7000 adverse health outcomes in children, over 10,000 deaths, and over 5000 hospitalizations that can be attributed to air pollution each year in Jakarta. The annual total cost of the health impact of air pollution reached approximately USD 2943.42 million. (4) Conclusions: By using local data to quantify and assess the health and economic impacts of air pollution in Jakarta, our study provides timely evidence needed to prioritize clean air actions to be taken to promote the public’s health.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the world’s leading causes of death and disability, with cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounting for half of NCD deaths. An ambitious global target established by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – indicator 3.4.1 – aims to reduce the risk of premature death among people aged 30–69 years from CVD, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease by one third by 2030. This article reviews the science and practice informing what is required to achieve this target, identifying seven interventions that can accelerate progress: 1) tobacco control; 2) treatment to reduce cardiovascular risk; 3) reduction of dietary sodium; 4) reduction of household air pollution; 5) elimination of artificial trans fat; 6) reduction of alcohol use; and 7) prevention, detection, and treatment of cancers. Achieving the target is possible – there has already been progress in some areas, particularly related to CVD reduction – but only if there is faster, more concerted action.

More than 275 million children in India have elevated blood lead levels (BLLs). Previous studies in India have focused on children living in highly polluted areas. In addition to industrial sites, children are exposed to lead in their homes. The study aims to identify sources of lead exposure in a sample of children living in Bihar by assessing lead levels in the children’s homes and products and their association with blood lead levels (BLLs). The study used a subset of a statewide BLL study in Bihar, India. From the larger sample, 150 children were selected, including those with a BLL ≥ 20 µg/dL and a random sample of those below this level. Blood samples from children aged 13 to 60 months were analyzed using the LeadCare II analyzer. A home-based assessment (HBA) was conducted to evaluate lead in soil, drinking water, paint, metal and ceramic cookware, spices, cosmetics, and toys. Lead levels were determined using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer and laboratory-based analyses. HBA results were compared with local and international limits. Sampling revealed elevated lead levels in metal foodware and spices. After adjustment, the odds of elevated BLL were associated with lead content in spices only (aOR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.17, 1.58). Elevated lead levels in spices and metal foodware are common in Bihar, India. To protect children’s health, measures are needed to reduce lead exposure, including enforcing regulations on lead content in spices, implementing policies, and monitoring metal foodware items, as well as building public awareness.