Keralite-origin nurse in UK wins global nursing award for organ and stem-cell donation advocacy

KOCHI Sept 12: A Keralite-origin nurse based in the UK, who has spent years campaigning to raise awareness of organ and stem-cell donation, has won the prestigious Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026, along with a prize of $250,000.

Agimol Pradeep, a senior transplant coordinator at King’s College Hospital and honorary senior lecturer at the University of Salford, was named the winner at a ceremony held in Kochi on September 12, 2026. She emerged as the top recipient from more than 134,000 registrations spanning 214 countries and economies.

The award was presented to Agimol Pradeep by Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, alongside Dr Azad Moopen, founder chairman of Aster DM Healthcare; Alisha Moopen, managing director and group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare GCC; T. J. Wilson, executive director and group head of Aster DM Healthcare; and Varun Khanna, managing director and group CEO of Aster DM Quality Care Ltd.

The ceremony also featured a special message from Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, who congratulated the finalists and highlighted the vital contribution nurses make to healthcare worldwide.

The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award was launched in 2021 to recognise nurses who are advancing the profession and driving meaningful change in healthcare. This year’s 10 finalists were selected through a process involving Ernst & Young LLP, a screening jury and a grand jury. Candidates were assessed on their professional achievements, leadership, innovation, impact and contribution to nursing.

The other nine finalists were Dr Aidah Alkaissi of Sweden, Dinah Sevilla of Saudi Arabia, Dr Hammoda Abu-Odah of Hong Kong, Hindumbi K of India, Johana Patricia Galvan Barrios of Colombia, Josephine Nelago Angula of Namibia, Oluchi Angel Okoi of Nigeria, Peter Fore of Papua New Guinea and Ronald Mario Cañas Rojas of Colombia.

“It’s surreal still. I’m trying to absorb everything. I don’t think this is an individual game at all. I feel like I’m representing my profession,” Agimol Pradeep said in an online interview.

Agimol Pradeep’s work has been shaped by what she has witnessed throughout her career in transplant care: patients dying from organ failure while waiting for treatment. She hopes the international recognition will give her a platform to expand her work into countries where systems for supporting people with organ failure and providing transplant services remain underdeveloped.

“Unfortunately, there are many patients dying due to organ failure. My true hope is that one day we shouldn’t be losing patients because of organ failure,” she said.

Agimol Pradeep has highlighted the stark differences between healthcare systems with established transplant services and those where access to such care remains limited.

“In the UK, we have a dedicated organ transplant service where we have a national transplant waiting list. We are able to provide transparent care to patients who are struggling with organ failure.”

Yet even in a developed healthcare system, the need remains considerable.

“Despite saying that, we are losing around three patients every day with organ failure, even in a developed country like the UK,” she said.

For Agimol Pradeep, raising awareness about organ donation is therefore an essential part of addressing the problem.

“By talking about organ donation, we’ll be able to spread the message of the gift of life. There are a lot of misinterpretations of organ donation, so we need to raise awareness and bring that practice back to normality.”