It is also a battle, because much goes on behind the scenes to keep the lofty status quo Singaporeans have come to expect. Innovation, maintenance and education keep Singapore spanking clean, but it is the sum of collective decisions – for instance, not to litter, not to spit, not to smoke, or not to breed mosquitoes – that make the biggest difference to our immediate surroundings.

Contributing to public health is a starkly clear indicator of social responsibility. The connection couldn't be clearer or simpler. If you chuck litter out the window, you could hurt someone and dirty the place, spoiling it for everyone (including you). If you breed mosquitoes in a flower pot plate, either you or a loved one, or a neighbour five doors down could get very sick indeed in a matter of days. They could even die.

That's why collectively maintaining public health is the perfect quintessence of the adage, "no man is an island". (Especially with regard to the mosquitoes.)

It's a message NEA wants to convey, but also a humbling reminder that it cannot do its job alone, and shouldn't attempt to.

Last year's dengue outbreak simply served in –many ways – to underscore that. It was the community's efforts that curbed an outbreak, when dengue loomed in the region last year.

The situation looked grim. Dengue cases climbed alarmingly; the Aedes mosquito, the carrier of the virus' four strains, turned out to be a very adaptable urbanite monster which liked daylight and flying long distances; the weather was hot and wet which made them breed faster; and there was nowhere to run – dengue, endemic in the region, had become pandemic. Innocent victims – who had done everything right to mosquito-proof their homes were succumbing to this sometimes painful and long-drawn illness.

As of late August 2005, the number of dengue cases was about 7,800, nearly double the year before. During this period, the number of cases per week took a jump from 322 in the previous year to 414.

It was a frightening time. But Singaporeans (armed with mosquito repellent and insecticide) buckled down, regrouped, and marched out to face the threat. Literally.

NEA galvanized the community in a nationwide effort to bring the Aedes mosquito population under control. Singaporeans at all levels of society participated and volunteered to do their bit to reduce the mosquito population at the source.

At the frontline, large groups of volunteers – from civil service agencies, grassroots and volunteer organisations, pest control operators, the private sector, and even individuals – swept through the island on six weekends of mass "carpet combing". Together, they eliminated countless mosquito breeding sites in common areas in housing estates and private estates and catalogued the spots in which most breeding was found.

The groups also supported the Prime Minister in giving out NEA flyers educating homeowners on the 10-Minute Mozzie Wipe-Out, a five-step check of the common indoor and household breeding areas to help eliminate mosquito breeding.

Over at Lentor, a neighbourhood patrol committee of residents scoured their common areas in the evenings. Born a neighbourhood safety programme, the group altered their regular activity as the dengue crisis escalated, looking out for mosquito breeding habitats. "As the number of dengue cases began to rise in Singapore, we modified it to include breeding areas as well," explained Mr Edward Tan, who chairs the committee.

A thousand mosquito breeding habitats were destroyed during this six-week period. Littering and poor housekeeping of common corridors were found to contribute significantly to mosquito breeding.

While the battle raged in the heartland, a panel of experts was convened here to help combat the outbreak. Their research findings pointed to the fact that community ownership was the best and most effective way to wrestle the dengue problem. (See box story for more details on the expert panel's findings).

Public service agencies also rose to the occasion. JTC Corporation, for instance, had their cleaners trained by NEA as to the appropriate manner in which to deal with dengue. JTC, with the aid of resident volunteers, also organized informal home visits and block parties to educate the rest of the community on how to spot mosquito-breeding sites. It also helped coordinate the work of NEA through a dengue prevention task force.

To support the volume of calls it was receiving on dengue, NEA set up a dengue alert hotline, manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week by trained NEA officers. On 14 September 2005 alone, the new hotline received some 1,200 calls on mosquito-related matters, almost three times the usual number handled by NEA's Call Centre. A majority of the callers were HDB dwellers. The hotline provided information such as preventive measures against mosquito breeding and noted and redirected feedback on breeding sites for followup. This line of communication also allowed the public to offer suggestions on ways to reduce mosquito breeding.

The Household Mosquito Eradication System (HOMES) was launched by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in November 2005. This programme provided the Town Councils, government agencies, and volunteers from the dengue prevention volunteer groups and residents with a special manual. It contained all standard operating procedures and checklists to prevent dengue

These are just some examples of community involvement that helped to reduce dengue cases from a high of 713 a week in September 2005 to less than 80 a week in April 2006.

Nothing is trivial – certainly not when public health is concerned. With all the efforts by NEA, at the end of the day, it was clear that combating dengue, or any public health issue for that matter, required the community at large to play its part. NEA may be the authoritative body that ensures that Singaporeans live in a sustainable quality environment. But the onus is on each Singaporean when it comes to the management and reduction of health risks. After all, it's our own lives at risk.