By: IPP Bureau
Last updated : September 15, 2026 8:54 am
King’s College Hospital transplant coordinator receives USD 250,000 prize after emerging from 134,000 registrations across 214 countries and economies
Nurse Agimol Pradeep from the United Kingdom has been named the winner of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026, emerging from more than 134,000 registrations across 214 countries and economies. She received the USD 250,000 prize at a ceremony in Kochi, India.
Pradeep is a Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford, UK. The award was presented by Shri V. D. Satheesan, Chief Minister of Kerala, along with Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder and Executive Chairman, Aster DM Quality Care Ltd; Alisha Moopen, Executive Director, Aster DM Quality Care Ltd; T.J. Wilson, Director, Aster DM Quality Care; 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 developed into a global platform recognising nurses advancing the profession and creating meaningful change. This year’s registrations represented nurses working across healthcare settings, communities and disciplines 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 acknowledged the award’s role in celebrating nurses and their contribution to global healthcare.
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.”
She said half of the prize would support Upahaar, her initiative to expand organ and stem-cell donation and improve access to transplantation for patients with organ failure and blood cancers, particularly in underserved communities. She also plans to invest in nursing education and training and empower nurses to become advocates and changemakers.
Dr. Azad Moopen said Pradeep’s achievement reflected “the expertise, courage, compassion and unwavering commitment that define exceptional nursing,” adding that these qualities were central to the award’s mission of recognising and elevating the contribution of nurses worldwide.
Alisha Moopen said Pradeep’s work in transplantation and organ donation among the UK’s South Asian community had established a benchmark for others, noting that nurses were not only essential to healthcare delivery but were also helping shape the evolution of healthcare systems.
Pradeep has focused her career on addressing healthcare inequities and improving access to care. After identifying the disproportionate impact of donor shortages on South Asian patients awaiting transplants, she co-founded the Upahaar initiative, which has registered more than 10,000 stem-cell donors. Her work has also contributed to regulatory changes enabling internationally trained nurses to re-enter the UK workforce. She has received recognition including the British Empire Medal.
The other nine finalists were Dr. Aidah Alkaissi from Sweden; Dinah Sevilla from 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; and Ronald Mario Cañas Rojas from Colombia.
The finalists were selected through a process involving Ernst & Young LLP, a Screening Jury and a Grand Jury, based on professional achievements, leadership, innovation, impact and contributions to the nursing profession.
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