Two African nurses shine as Aster Guardians Award finalists

UAE—The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2025 has spotlighted two remarkable African nurses among its top 10 finalists: Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti from Ghana and Khadija Mohamed Juma from Kenya.

This prestigious award recognizes nurses worldwide for their outstanding service and leadership in healthcare, selected from over 100,000 nominations across 199 countries.

The winner will be announced at a grand ceremony in Dubai on May 26, 2025, and will receive a cash prize of US$250,000.

Naomi Oti, with over 23 years of experience, has significantly advanced cancer care and nursing education in Ghana and across Africa.

She is the Oncology Nurse Specialist and Head of Nursing at the National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana’s leading cancer treatment center.

Naomi pioneered Ghana’s first formal oncology nurse training program, which has trained more than 60 oncology nurse specialists and 10 breast care nurses nationwide.

She also helped develop the country’s first postgraduate oncology nursing curriculum in 2015.

Her mentorship extends beyond Ghana, having guided over 48 nurses from various African countries, aiming to elevate oncology care standards continent-wide.

Naomi’s influence is global. She is an active member of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), a co-investigator on the Global Bridges Oncology GM Grant, and a faculty member for the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s multidisciplinary courses.

Her work in research, training, and policy development has reshaped oncology nursing competencies across Africa.

Her dedication has earned her national honors, including the Ministry of Health Excellence Award and the Dr. Dorcia Kisseh International Award.

She hopes to use the award prize to expand cancer education and mentorship programs throughout Africa.

In Kenya, 29-year-old Khadija Mohamed Juma is transforming blood donation through innovation.

She works as a nurse at Tudor Subcounty Hospital in Mombasa and founded RedSplash, a tech-enabled platform that uses a Smart Donor Search algorithm to connect blood donors with patients in real time.

Since starting RedSplash, Khadija has led over 500 blood donation drives, collected more than 25,000 units of blood, and helped save an estimated 75,000 lives.

Her initiative began after a personal tragedy involving delayed blood transfusions.

RedSplash mobilizes communities, schools, and mosques to promote voluntary blood donation, challenging the black-market system with a model dubbed “Deliver blood faster than pizza.”

Khadija plans to establish Kenya’s first RedSplash Blood Bank and mobile units soon. She has been recognized by BBC, DW, Citizen TV, and as a Commonwealth Youth Awards Africa finalist, making her a rising voice for equity, youth leadership, and gender inclusion in healthcare.

Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, praised Naomi and Khadija as exemplars of Africa’s nursing excellence.

He highlighted their courage, innovation, and dedication to community health, whether through transforming cancer care or revolutionizing blood donation.

He emphasized that these nurses are redefining healthcare leadership and that the award aims to shine a global spotlight on their life-saving work.

The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award is now in its fourth edition and is one of the world’s most coveted nursing honors.

The 2025 finalists were chosen through a rigorous evaluation process led by international experts and independently overseen by Ernst & Young LLP.

The public can vote for their favourite finalist until May 19, 2025, helping decide who will take home the US$250,000 prize at the Dubai ceremony.

Other finalists come from countries including Switzerland, Papua New Guinea, UAE, Hong Kong SAR, the USA, Malaysia, and India, reflecting a global recognition of nurses as leaders, educators, and innovators in healthcare.

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