By George Kommattam
KOCHI, September 16, 2026: A Kerala-born nurse working in the United Kingdom has won the world’s largest nursing award for her work in organ donation, community engagement and strengthening opportunities for internationally trained nurses.
Doctor Agimol Pradeep, a Senior Transplant Coordinator at King’s College Hospital, London, has been named the winner of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award 2026, receiving a prize of US$250,000.
She was selected from more than 134,000 registrations across 214 countries and economies, making her the top choice among nurses from across the world.
A native of Kottayam in Kerala, Agimol, who goes by her first name, is the daughter of K. J. Joseph and Annamma Joseph of Kanakkunnel, and is married to Pradeep Jacob, Kaniamkulam, Kottayam. The couple have two daughters, Kathi and Valentine, who are students.
Agimol has spent much of her professional life addressing inequalities in access to healthcare, particularly among South Asian communities in Britain.
Her experience in transplant care drew attention to a significant disparity: patients from South Asian communities were disproportionately affected by shortages of suitable organ donors.
Rather than limiting her response to clinical care, Agimol helped turn the issue into a community-led movement. She co-founded the Upahaar initiative, which has registered more than 10,000 stem cell donors, while also working to increase awareness of organ donation among South Asian communities.
Her contribution extends beyond transplantation.
Agimol has played an important role in efforts that helped internationally trained nurses re-enter the UK workforce, addressing critical staffing shortages facing the country’s health service.
She is also an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Salford, combining her clinical work with teaching and professional development.
Her contributions have earned recognition in Britain, including the British Empire Medal.
The Aster Guardians award was presented at a ceremony in Kochi on September 12 in the presence of Kerala leaders and healthcare professionals from around the world. Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan presented the award to Agimol, in a function held in Kochi on September 12, 2026.
“I feel immensely proud that the world’s biggest nursing award has come to Kerala,” Satheesan said, noting the significant contribution of nurses from the state to healthcare systems across the world.
The Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award was established in 2021 to recognize nurses who are advancing the profession and creating meaningful change in healthcare. The 2026 finalists were evaluated on professional achievement, leadership, innovation, impact and contribution to nursing.
For Agimol, the award represents more than individual recognition. Her journey illustrates how nursing can extend beyond the hospital — into communities, policy, education and public health.
Her work has connected clinical care with a wider question of healthcare equity: who receives care, who has access to it, and who gets the opportunity to contribute to the health system.
The recognition also highlights the continuing global contribution of nurses from Kerala, many of whom have become an integral part of healthcare systems far beyond India.
(Photo supplied)