Ghanaian oncology nurse Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti has received the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award for her groundbreaking contributions to nurse training and cancer care.
Of the 100,000 candidates from 199 countries, Ohene Oti, 48, the chief of nursing at the National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Ghana’s capital Accra, was chosen.
Through education and system reform, she has worked to reduce the gaps in cancer care in Ghana and throughout Africa.
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During the event in Dubai, Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, presented the award, which includes a cash prize of $250,000.
“For over two decades, I have witnessed the inequities in cancer care firsthand and dedicated myself to closing these gaps through training, outreach, and system-level change,” Ohene Oti said at the ceremony, according to Africa News. “This recognition is not mine alone – it belongs to every nurse across Ghana, Africa, and the world who leads with resilience, compassion, and courage.”
Established by Aster DM Healthcare in 2021, the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award seeks to recognize the efforts of nurses in areas such as community service, leadership, research, and innovation. Applications for this year’s award cycle increased by 28% compared to 2024.
“Nurse Naomi Ohene Oti has redefined what it means to be a nurse— not just as a caregiver but as an innovator, leader, and changemaker,” Dr. Azad Moopen, founder of Aster DM Healthcare, expressed.
Under her direction, Ghana’s oncology nursing field has witnessed significant advancements. She assisted in the creation of training programs in partnership with foreign organizations such as Canada’s Cross Cancer Institute.
She also contributed to the creation of Ghana’s postgraduate oncology nursing curriculum in 2015, which has since produced 10 breast care nurses and more than 60 oncology nurse specialists.
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Ohene Oti’s impact on cancer nursing education and policy extends beyond Ghana. She is a member of the education and training committee of the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), a co-investigator on a Global Bridges Oncology project and collaborates with international organizations such as ASCO and ISNCC. Her advocacy is centered on equitable and culturally appropriate cancer care.
In his speech at the award event, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commended nurses for their critical role in healthcare systems around the globe.
Ohene Oti was one of nine finalists who received recognition for their contributions to the field. Among them were nurses from Kenya, Malaysia, India, the United States, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and Papua New Guinea. Ernst & Young LLP and two different judges went through a rigorous process to choose the finalists.
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