Despite all its world-class shopping malls, office blocks and entertainment centers, Jakarta still struggles to eliminate a symbol of backwardness -- contagious diseases.

The capital is home to dengue fever, diarrhea, bird flu, respiratory diseases and more, all sparked by poor sanitation.

Does Jakarta deserve to be known as a modern metropolis? When it comes to its environment, the capital has more in common with the world's under-developed cities.

Since January, more than 6,000 Jakartans have been hospitalized with dengue fever. At least 10 people died because they received medical help too late. The dengue fever outbreak has forced hospitals to prepare large numbers of extra beds to deal with the surge in patients.

Health officials have warned of a possible spike in dengue fever cases during the transition period from the rainy to dry season. Jakartans should therefore anticipate the worst as the rainy season comes to its predicted close in late March or early April.

A number of programs have been introduced to improve sanitation in the capital, unfortunately without much success.

However, finger-pointing will not solve anything. Taxpayers deserve better sanitation facilities, but we also have to acknowledge that residents themselves are part of the problem, with our clogged sewers and open water containers offering perfect breeding spots for mosquitoes.

Most residents know in theory the dengue prevention routine, but as it includes the regular cleaning of water tanks some people close the door when health officers come to check for mosquito larvae in and around homes.

The absence of an integrated human waste treatment system in many parts of the city forces residents to use septic tanks, or just dump the waste directly into rivers. This has resulted in some 70 percent of Jakarta's underground water reportedly being contaminated with E. coli bacteria, which causes diarrhea.

Air pollution, which causes respiratory problems, remains another great challenge. Efforts to overcome the problem have faltered, particularly attempts to get Jakartans to give up their private vehicles.

The city has taken many measures to deal with many of these problems. In 2004, then governor Sutiyoso launched a program aimed at gradually eliminating dengue fever within three years, based on a similar program that had great results in Cuba.

The program was simple but required a strong commitment from all stakeholders. For 30 minutes every Friday, starting at 9 a.m., Jakartans were to clean up their neighborhoods to cut the life cycle of the aedes aegypti mosquitoes that spread dengue fever. Had it succeeded, within three years Jakarta would have been free of dengue fever.

But like many other commendable programs it failed because of a lack of public participation. Dengue fever continues to ravage not only slum areas, but also affects people in upscale residential areas.

It is time to act before more people fall victim to dengue or any of the other diseases that have become common to Jakarta.

Residents can not wait for action from the city administration -- check and see what you can do in your own neighborhood.

We hope the city administration also has a strong commitment to develop better sanitation infrastructure, better human waste treatment facilities and regular maintenance of drainage facilities, as well as actively campaigning to increase awareness of the importance of cleaner surroundings.

It may be a bit late to start, but this is the only way to stop the unnecessary deaths that affect both the rich and poor.

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