The Acer Foundation has made a significant contribution to global health efforts by donating 300 tablet computers to a collaborative project aimed at reducing tuberculosis (TB) transmission and alleviating its economic burden on Namibia in southern Africa.
Tuberculosis remains one of the most critical infectious diseases globally, especially in developing nations. While nearly 100% of TB cases can be cured with appropriate treatments, if left untreated, nearly half of all patients perish from the disease within three years. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified Namibia as a country with “a high burden of tuberculosis (TB),” ranking it ninth globally in rate of TB incidence, with 460 cases per 100,000 people—16 times the rate in Taiwan.
The international project, titled “Hotspots, Hospitals, and Households: Enhanced Case Finding of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Namibia” (H3TB), is led by the University of Namibia in partnership with Namibia’s Ministry of Health, Imperial College London, National Taiwan University, and Harvard Medical School. The initiative focuses on early detection and treatment of drug-resistant TB through screening of household contacts of TB patients, hospital visitors, and members of high-risk communities. Its primary goal is to break the chain of TB transmission, improve treatment outcomes, and reduce the financial burden on affected families.
To assess the economic impact of this active case-finding approach, the project team will conduct a household survey to determine if the intervention effectively reduces catastrophic financial costs for families affected by TB. Given Namibia’s transportation limitations, the donated tablets—equipped with communication capabilities—will greatly improve data collection efficiency and support effective TB control efforts.
On August 23, 2024, Acer Foundation Chief Executive Officer Mr. Guo and Director of Tablet Business Management Mr. Chen visited NTU’s College of Public Health, to meet with Dean Prof. Cheng and Director Prof. Lin. This meeting deepened their mutual understanding and also provided the Acer Foundation leaders with precious insights into tackling global health challenges, laying the groundwork for future collaboration.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the Acer Foundation for its generous support in advancing global health and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This sort of collaboration highlights the vital role of multi-institutional partnerships in addressing complex public health issues, and we anticipate further advancements over time.
Group Meeting on August 23, 2024: From left to right: Mr. Chen, Head of Tablet Business Management at Acer; Mr. Guo, Chief Executive Officer of Acer Foundation; Prof. Cheng, Dean of the College of Public Health at NTU; and Prof. Lin, Director of the Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine.
University of Namibia Campus and H3TB Project Website:
The University of Namibia campus alongside a section of the H3TB project website (source: https://www.unam.edu.na/h3tb), with members of the H3TB project team.
