“The air quality in the Greater Jakarta Area has been very, very bad,” Widodo said. ASEAN is a regional bloc that brings together 10 Southeast Asian countries, many of which have long suffered high pollution levels in their major cities. Ministers in the Southeast Asian country confirmed this week that President Widodo had been battling a cough for weeks and suggested it could be related to worsening air pollution in Jakarta. Air pollution has long plagued the Greater Jakarta area, with factories, coal-fired power plants and traffic congestion all contributing to the smog, according to experts. Experts previously told CNN the health costs of Indonesia’s air pollution cannot be underestimated.

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Persons: Joko, Widodo, ” Widodo, Heru Budi, Sigit Wijatmoko, ” Wijatmoko, “, Wijatmoko, Sandiaga Uno Organizations: CNN, Jakarta Gov, CNN Indonesia, 43rd ASEAN Summit, Jakarta Convention Center, ASEAN, Ministers, Tourism, ” Tourism Locations: Jakarta, Swiss, Greater Jakarta Area, Greater Jakarta