'Residents should take the initiative'

Jakarta has been placed on the list of regions facing an extraordinary occurrence of dengue fever, with almost 2,000 people having contracted the disease since the beginning of the year, including 18 people who have died. The Jakarta Post asked residents for their opinion on what can be done to curb the outbreak.

Danang, 26, works for an event organizer. He lives in Jatibening, Bekasi:

I blame the public for this dengue outbreak. The government has done everything that could be expected of it to control dengue fever. It is the residents who must take action and join in the effort.

All this time, without much fanfare, the government has passed many policies that have benefited people.

The government has waived hospital charges for dengue patients, a policy that in fact is a burden for the hospitals.

I believe we can overcome dengue if people are willing to change and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Nessa, 23, is a teacher at a preschool. She lives in Pejaten, South Jakarta:

As the wet season continues and there are floods everywhere, people have to pay more attention to the dengue outbreak.

The battle against dengue would be more effective if the public joined hands to curb the outbreak.

I heard that residents in Mampang, South Jakarta, initiated a regular program to clean up their neighborhood to stop the spread of the dengue virus.

Maybe the government should increase its effort to train people in how to prevent the spread of dengue, because most people just tend to wait for instructions.

--The Jakarta Post