Jakarta, April 13 -- The Health Ministry is intensifying public education on health protocols to protect Indonesians from the impacts of El Niño, including the so-called "Godzilla" variant, which can worsen air pollution and increase the spread of infectious diseases.

The ministry's head of communication and public information bureau, Aji Muhawarman, said on Monday that the phenomenon weakens the rain-cleansing effect, leading to increased air pollution due to stagnant air and temperature inversion, worsened by forest and land fires.

"Increases in temperature and environmental changes can also trigger the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, as puddles become breeding grounds for mosquitoes," he said.

He add...