Kochi: Kottayam native Agimol Pradeep, a nurse working in the UK, has won the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026 and its USD 250,000 prize (app. Rs 2.39 crore).

Agimol, a Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford, was chosen from more than 134,000 registrations across 214 countries and economies.

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan presented the award to Pradeep at a ceremony in Kochi, along with Aster DM Quality Care Founder and Executive Chairman Dr Azad Moopen and other Aster officials.

Agimol was recognised for her work addressing inequalities in organ and stem-cell donation, particularly among South Asian communities in the UK. She co-founded Upahaar, an initiative that has registered more than 10,000 stem-cell donors.

She has also contributed to efforts that helped internationally trained nurses return to the UK workforce. Her work has earned her honours including the British Empire Medal.

Agimol said she will use half of the prize money to expand Upahaar’s work in organ and stem-cell donation, while also investing in nursing education and training.

The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award was launched in 2021 to recognise nurses making significant contributions to healthcare and the profession.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated the finalists in a special message during the ceremony.