Prof. Dr. dr. Agus Dwi Susanto, SpP(K), Professor of FKUI: The Study of Outdoor Air Quality for Respiratory Health of Indonesian People
Prof. Dr. dr. Agus Dwi Susanto, SpP(K), was inaugurated as a professor at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia (FKUI) on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at IMERI Hall, FKUI, Salemba, with two other professors from FKUI, namely Prof. Dr. dr. Irawan Mangunatmadja, Sp.A (K) and Prof. dr. Ardi Findyartini, Ph.D. The inauguration was attended by the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia Ir. Budi Gunadi Sadikin, CHFC, CLU.
In his inaugural speech, Prof. Agus, who is also the Main Director of Persahabatan Hospital, said that behind the various conveniences of technological advances, increased industrial and transportation activities pose a threat to human health and the environment. This is caused by pollution, especially air pollution. Therefore, air pollution is one of the biggest health and environmental problems in the world.
Air pollution contributes to around 11.65% of deaths globally and is a risk factor for burden of disease. Therefore, air pollution not only takes years of a person’s life but also has an impact on the quality of a person’s life while still alive. Several diseases are caused by air pollution, including acute respiratory infections (ARI), tuberculosis (TB), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and pulmonary fibrosis.
“As a result of exposure to air pollution, the average individual in Indonesia loses 1.2 years of life expectancy because the air quality in Indonesia fails to meet the PM2.5 concentration criteria set by WHO. Residents in big cities like Jakarta can lose around 2.3 years of life expectancy if exposed to the same level of air pollution continuously,” said Prof. Agus in his inauguration as a Tenured Professor in Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine.
As a system that interacts directly with outdoor air, the respiratory system is very vulnerable to pollution contained in the air. Pollutants can irritate the airways, triggering inflammation and oxidative stress in the airways. The impact of air pollution on respiratory health can be either acute or chronic. He recommended related parties, including the public, industry actors, government, and doctors so that they could synergistically participate and contribute to air quality control.
“People can start by switching from private vehicles to public transportation that is more eco-friendly. Today’s society can also avoid outdoor activities when air pollution is high by monitoring real-time air quality with an application such as AirVisual application from IQAir, which can be downloaded on a smartphone,” said Prof. Agus.
He added that people are advised to use masks according to the standards when doing outdoor activities to avoid unhealthy air. Industrial actors can reduce pollution levels by conducting environmental impact studies of their industrial activities. Educational institutions and the government also need to conduct research and innovations that promote renewable energy, including prompting the establishment of alternative power plants.
The professor inauguration ceremony was led by Rector of UI Prof. Ari Kuncoro and was broadcast virtually via Universitas Indonesia and UI Teve Youtube channel. The inauguration was also attended by the spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Main Director of Sulianti Saroso Hospital, dr. Mohammad Syahril, Sp.P, MPH .; Secretariat General of Health Services, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, dr. Soenarto; Main Director of dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital dr. Lies Dina Liastuti, SpJP(K), MARS, FIHA.; and Professor of the Department of Medical Education FKUI and Association of Indonesian Medical Education Reviewers, Prof. Dr. dr. Retno W. Subaryo, SpKK(K).
Prof. Agus underwent a Medical Education Program at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia. After graduating as a general practitioner in 1998, he continued to study the Specialist Doctor Education Program (PPDS) for Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia and graduated in 2005. Prof. Agus earned the title of consultant on occupational and environmental diseases from Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine Body, Indonesian Society of Respirology (ISR) in 2012. Furthermore, Prof. Agus earned his doctoral degree in Health Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Gajah Mada, Yogyakarta, in 2014.
He has published 27 international journals and several scientific papers, including Accuracy of VOC Detection in Exhaled Breath Compared to Reverse transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) for Diagnosis of COVID-19: An Evidence-based Case Report (2022) , Inter-observer Agreement and Accuracy in Classifying Radiographs for Pneumoconiosis among Asian Physicians Taking AIR Pneumo Certification Examination (2022), and Clinical Characteristics and Quality of Life of Persistent Symptoms of COVID-19 Syndrome in Indonesia (2022).
See more:
