Health Ministry sends SMS urging mask use amid worsening air pollution 

On 25 November, the Ministry of Health sent SMS alerts recommending that people wear face masks when outside and in public areas. The ministry cited elevated dust levels in the air and the spread of seasonal acute respiratory infections as the reason. Until now, such SMS alerts had not been issued.

A presidential decree dated 21 February 2024 required that, starting from 1 March of that year, authorities establish a system to notify the public in the event of dust storms or when concentrations of fine particulate matter in the air exceed permissible limits.

The same decree mandated regular outreach on preventive measures for people with cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as for other citizens whose health is highly sensitive to air pollution.

Since last week, Tashkent and other regions of Uzbekistan have experienced high levels of air pollution. Uzhydromet attributed the situation to temperature inversion, when warm air sits above cold air, preventing air layers from mixing and causing pollutants to accumulate near the ground. The Ecology Committee has set up a 24-hour operational headquarters to develop measures to stabilize the environmental situation. Officials acknowledged that the pollution is caused by both natural and human factors. On 25 November, the president signed a decree outlining urgent measures to improve the environmental situation in the capital.