Ghanaian Nurse Naomi Ohene Oti wins 2025 Worldwide Nursing Award for cancer care work

Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, an oncology nurse from Ghana, has been awarded the 2025 Aster Guardians Worldwide Nursing Award in recognition of her pioneering work in cancer care and nurse working in direction of.

The award, which comes with a $250,000 prize, became introduced for the duration of a ceremony in Dubai by the UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan.

Ohene Oti, who heads nursing at the Nationwide Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Treatment Centre at Korle-Bu Instructing Health center in Accra, became chosen from among 100,000 candidates representing 199 countries.

Her work has centered on addressing cancer care inequities in Ghana and across Africa, particularly by schooling and machine reform.

“For over two decades, I even private witnessed the inequities in cancer care firsthand and dedicated myself to closing these gaps by working in direction of, outreach, and machine-level change,” she mentioned at the ceremony. “This recognition just isn’t mine by myself – it belongs to every nurse across Ghana, Africa, and the realm who leads with resilience, compassion, and braveness.”

Below her leadership, Ghana’s oncology nursing sector has seen main trends. She helped delivery working in direction of capabilities in collaboration with worldwide institutions, alongside with the Homely Cancer Institute in Canada.

She became also part of the crew that developed Ghana’s postgraduate oncology nursing curriculum in 2015, which has since trained over 60 oncology nurse consultants and 10 breast care nurses.

Beyond Ghana, Ohene Oti has influenced cancer nursing policy and schooling across Africa. She serves on the schooling and working in direction of committee of the African Organisation for Research and Coaching in Cancer (AORTIC), is a co-investigator on a Worldwide Bridges Oncology grant, and works with worldwide bodies be pleased ASCO and ISNCC. Her advocacy specializes in culturally connected and equitable cancer care.

Her recognition comes amid growing calls to elevate the nursing career globally. The award ceremony featured a message from WHO Director-No longer unusual Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who praised nurses as a must favor to healthcare systems worldwide.

The Aster Guardians Worldwide Nursing Award, launched in 2021 by Aster DM Healthcare, objectives to focus on the contributions of nurses in fields alongside with leadership, review, innovation, and community service. This one year’s award cycle seen a 28% perform higher in capabilities over 2024.

“Nurse Naomi Ohene Oti has redefined what it means to be a nurse – not correct as a caregiver however as an innovator, chief, and changemaker,” mentioned Dr. Azad Moopen, founding father of Aster DM Healthcare.

As well to to Ohene Oti, 9 a lot of finalists had been honoured for their contributions to the field. They included nurses from Switzerland, Papua Unusual Guinea, the UAE, Hong Kong, the USA, Kenya, Malaysia, and India. Finalists had been chosen by a rigorous course of conducted by Ernst & Young LLP and two separate juries.

The award not most real looking doubtless highlights particular particular person achievements however also draws attention to the realm importance of nursing in advancing public health, particularly in below-resourced areas.