Jakarta (VNA) - Indonesia has reported the highest number of methanol poisoning cases globally, prompting calls for stronger emergency preparedness plans to mitigate the risks of methanol exposure.
Over the past two decades, Indonesia and 12 other countries and territories in the Western Pacific have reported outbreaks of mass methanol poisoning. The region, which comprises 38 countries and territories across the Asia-Pacific, has recorded 352 methanol poisoning incidents since 2015, affecting more than 5,100 people and causing 1,571 deaths, equivalent to a fatality rate of 30.4%.
Notably, Indonesia tops the list with more than 300 incidents, affecting 2,185 people and recording a mortality rate of up to 50.4%, a level described by experts as exceptionally high. Cambodia ranks second, with over 1,300 people affected, though its fatality rate is significantly lower at around 14.2%.
According to Seungyun Kim, a risk assessment specialist with the WHO Health Emergencies Programme for the Western Pacific, Indonesia not only leads the region but also ranks first globally in methanol poisoning cases. One of the main contributing factors lies in the country’s social context. As a predominantly Muslim nation, Indonesia strictly limits alcohol consumption, while legal alcoholic beverages are subject to very high taxes. As a result, many people turn to home-brewed alcohol or cheap illicit liquor sold on the black market, which may contain methanol.
WHO experts warned that methanol poisoning typically develops rapidly, placing immense pressure on healthcare systems, while early diagnosis and access to antidotes remain limited in many areas.
Specialists noted that methanol itself does not cause immediate intoxication or obvious symptoms. Severe poisoning occurs only after methanol is metabolised in the body into formic acid, leading to serious consequences such as blindness, multi-organ failure and death./.
