Aster DM Healthcare has announced the launch of the sixth edition of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, inviting registered nurses worldwide to showcase their contributions to healthcare and compete for a prize of USD 250,000. The award recognises nurses whose work advances patient care, strengthens healthcare systems, drives innovation and transforms communities.
Open to registered nurses worldwide, the award recognises contributions across five areas: Patient Care, Nursing Education, Social and Community Service, Research and Innovation, and Nursing Leadership and Administration. Applicants can share their professional journeys through case-study questions, in multiple languages at www.asterguardians.com until December 31, 2026.
The 2026 edition received more than 134,000 registrations from 214 countries and economies, underscoring the award’s growing global reach. The multi-stage evaluation process will be independently managed by Ernst & Young LLP (EY) and overseen by a distinguished Grand Jury of international healthcare leaders. The Top 10 finalists will be recognised at a global awards ceremony planned for May 2027.
Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare, said, “When we instituted the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, our vision was to recognise nurses not just for the care they deliver, but also for the ideas they advance, the systems they strengthen and the communities they transform. As we launch the sixth edition, we remain committed to bringing these stories to the forefront and ensuring that exceptional nursing contributions receive the recognition they deserve.”
Instituted in 2021 by Dr Azad Moopen, the award has recognised nurses from Kenya, the UK, the Philippines and Ghana across its five editions. The 2026 winner, Dr Agimol Pradeep from the UK, is a Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford. She co-founded Upahaar, an initiative that has registered over 10,000 stem cell donors.
