An Indian nurse who dedicated her work to addressing inequities in healthcare and strengthening access to care in the UK has been named the winner of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026.
Dr Agimol Pradeep, a Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford, UK, was selected from over 134,000 registrations across 214 countries to win the $250,000 prize.
After identifying the disproportionate impact of donor shortages on South Asian patients awaiting transplants, Dr Agimol turned her research into community-led action, co-founding the Upahaar initiative, which has registered more than 10,000 stem cell donors.
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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.
She said the award gives her the opportunity to take a lifetime of work further. “I want to use this award to turn those experiences into even greater action,” she said. “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.”
Global platform
The winner was announced at a ceremony in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the presence of the state’s chief minister V. D. Satheesan, along with distinguished healthcare and nursing leaders from around the world.
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.
According to Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare, the most inspiring part of the award is discovering the extraordinary, unseen work happening in places and communities across the world. “Dr Agimol has shown us that meaningful change can begin anywhere through a single nurse determined to solve a problem,” she said. “Stories of our top 10 finalists demonstrate that nurses are not only essential to delivering healthcare; they are shaping how healthcare evolves.”
Dr Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare said that the group was proud to celebrate Dr Agimol as well as the remaining finalists. “May it inspire the global nursing community to continue its remarkable service to humanity with renewed pride and purpose,” he said.
Source: Khaleej Times