Kochi, India: Nurse Agimol Pradeep from the United Kingdom has been named the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026 winner, emerging from more than 134,000 registrations across 214 countries and economies. She is a Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford, UK. She received the prestigious USD 250,000 prize at a ceremony in Kochi, India.

The award was presented to Nurse Agimol Pradeep by Shri V. D. Satheesan, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Keralam, along with Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO – Aster DM Healthcare GCC, T.J. Wilson, Executive Director and Group Head, Aster DM Healthcare, and Varun Khanna, Managing Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Quality Care Ltd. 

Since its launch in 2021, the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award has grown into a global platform that celebrates nurses who are advancing the profession and creating meaningful change. This year’s 134,000 registrations came from 214 countries and economies, bringing forward stories of nurses working across different healthcare settings, communities and disciplines, underscoring the truly global significance of nursing and the breadth of impact nurses are making across healthcare systems and communities worldwide. 

 

The ceremony also featured a special message from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, who congratulated the finalists and recognized the important role of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award in celebrating nurses and their contribution to healthcare worldwide.

 

Commenting on the win, Dr Agimol Pradeep said, “Winning the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award is an extraordinary honour, but more importantly, it gives me an opportunity to take a lifetime of work further. I have seen how a shortage of ethnically matched donors can leave patients from minority communities waiting longer for a life-saving transplant, and I have seen how systemic barriers can prevent highly skilled nurses from returning to the profession. I want to use this award to turn those experiences into even greater action. Half of the prize will support Upahaar and my mission to give more patients with organ failure and blood cancers a chance at life, by expanding organ and stem-cell donation and taking this work to communities and countries where it is most needed. I also want to invest in nursing education and training and help empower more nurses to become advocates and changemakers. If this award can help us change systems, mobilise communities and give thousands of more people a chance at life, that is the legacy I would want it to create.” 

Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare said, “Nursing is among the world’s most noble, respected and consequential professions, reaching across borders and transforming millions of lives every day. This year, more than 134,000 nurses from around the world shared their stories, reflecting the extraordinary scale, dedication and global impact of nursing.

 

Nurse Agimol Pradeep’s achievement embodies the expertise, courage, compassion and unwavering commitment that define exceptional nursing. These are the qualities at the heart of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, which was established to recognise and elevate the vital contributions of nurses worldwide.

 

We are immensely proud to celebrate Dr Agimol Pradeep as this year’s winner and to honour all our finalists, whose leadership, innovation and service are helping shape the future of healthcare and redefine the possibilities of nursing. May it inspire the global nursing community to continue its remarkable service to humanity with renewed pride and purpose.

My heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Dr Agimol.”

 

Ms. Alisha Moopen, Managing Director & Group CEO, Aster DM Healthcare said, “The most inspiring part of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award is discovering the extraordinary work happening in places and communities that the world may not always see. Nurse Agimol has shown us that meaningful change can begin anywhere through a single nurse determined to solve a problem. Her pioneering work in transplantation and organ donation within the UK’s South Asian community has set a benchmark for many to follow. Stories of our top 10 finalists demonstrate that nurses are not only essential to delivering healthcare; they are shaping how healthcare evolves. As the award grows, our responsibility is to ensure these stories travel further, inspire more people and contribute to a stronger global appreciation of the nursing profession.”

 

A Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford, UK, Dr Agimol Pradeep has dedicated her work to addressing inequities in healthcare and strengthening access to care. After identifying the disproportionate impact of donor shortages on South Asian patients awaiting transplants, she turned her research into community-led action, co-founding the Upahaar initiative, which has registered more than 10,000 stem cell donors. Her work has also contributed to regulatory change enabling internationally trained nurses to re-enter the UK workforce, helping address critical workforce shortages. Her contributions to patient access, community engagement and healthcare capacity have earned her recognition including the British Empire Medal.

 

The rest of the 9 finalists are, Dr. Aidah Alkaissi from Sweden, Dinah Sevilla from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hammoda Abu-Odah from Hong Kong SAR, China, Hindumbi K from India, Johana Patricia Galvan Barrios from Colombia, Josephine Nelago Angula from Namibia, Oluchi Angel Okoi from Nigeria, Peter Fore from Papua New Guinea, Ronald Mario Cañas Rojas from Colombia.

 

The 10 finalists progressed through a comprehensive selection process involving Ernst & Young LLP, a Screening Jury and the Grand Jury, following assessment of their professional achievements, leadership, innovation, impact and contribution to the nursing profession.