Professor Hsun-Ping Hsieh (right) was honored with the “Outstanding Epidemic Prevention Award” by the Administrative Deputy Minister (left) of Ministry of Health and Welfare, at Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel

On November 26, 2024, the Ministry of Health and Welfare held the award ceremony for the "2024 Outstanding Epidemic Prevention Award" in Taipei, honoring individuals and organizations with exceptional contributions to epidemic prevention. Professor Hsun-Ping Hsieh was awarded the "Outstanding Epidemic Prevention Individual Award" for his significant work resisting the dengue fever outbreak in Tainan City in 2023.

Professor Hsieh, a faculty member of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, specializes in big data mining and analysis, urban science and computing, social network analysis, AI, and IoT applications. In 2023, a severe dengue fever outbreak occurred in Tainan City, Professor Hsieh developed an AI-based early warning system for dengue fever. This system can predict high-risk environments in real-time, assisting the local government in accurately detecting and eliminating potential infection zones. It effectively protects students in Tainan's primary and secondary schools from the threats of dengue fever and achieves a "zero infection" outcome on campuses.

 At the the award ceremony, Professor Hsun-Ping Hsieh and all the award winners completed the "Guarding Against the Epidemic Together" puzzle.

The early warning system not only improved the efficiency of epidemic prevention but also provided the Tainan City Government with an innovative solution for public health, highlighting the valuable role of AI in the public health field. Professor Hsieh's effort also matched the mission of National Cheng Kung University to "strengthen social responsibility and impact, promote public welfare, and participate in regional integration and governance, and actively fulfill the university’s social responsibilities.