Over 23,282 nurses worldwide vying for grand prize of $250,000

• Nurses from over 184 countries competing in global awards honoring frontline workers
• So far, around 4334 nurses from India have entered the prestigious Award following one of the toughest healthcare crises in recent history
• Global experts from international organisations come together to put a spotlight on the phenomenal contribution of nurses to the healthcare industry worldwide

To be held in Dubai on International Nurses Day on 12^th May 2022, Aster Guardians Global Nursing Awards would see one outstanding performer in the field of nursing claim the grand prize of $250,000 while 9 other finalists would share the stage to receive a substantial award each. To select the winner Aster DM Healthcare has brought on board a prestigious lineup of some of the world’s leaders in healthcare as Grand jury namely, Mr. Howard Catton – Chief Executive Officer, International Council of Nurses, Switzerland; Prof. Sheila Tlou – Co-Chairperson, Global HIV Prevention Coalition and Ex – Minister of Health & Member of Parliament – Govt. of Botswana; Prof. James Buchan – Adjunct Professor, WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing; Mr. Muralee Thummarukudy, Acting Head, Resilience to Disasters and Conflicts Global Support Branch, United Nations Environment Programme, Switzerland; and Dr. Carolyn Gomes, Executive Director, Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), Jamaica.

An advocate for improving working conditions of nurses and nurses’ welfare, Mr. Howard Catton, CEO of the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has praised the initiative’s bringing to the fore the work that these healthcare professionals do on a regular basis. “As ICN CEO I know how nurses are leading health improvement right around the world and the Aster Guardians Initiative is both recognising and rewarding global excellence in nursing,” he said.

Joining him Professor James Buchan, an Adjunct Professor at the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing, University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), Australia; a Visiting Professor at the School of Nursing, University of Edinburgh, Scotland; and a Senior Fellow at the Health Foundation, London; said that the awards are a key way to boost recognition of the relentless efforts of those in the sector: “Nurses are the beating heart of our healthcare system and have led with such commitment and effectiveness during one of the most challenging times known to mankind. We as a community need to acknowledge their contribution more holistically and I am glad to be associated with Aster Guardians in this endeavour.”

Bringing vast experience to the panel is Professor Sheila Tlou who has just made Avance Media’s list of 100 Most Influential Women in Africa. A former Member of Parliament and Minister of Health of the Republic of Botswana, with an extensive career in academia and research, she is also a former Professor of Nursing at the University of Botswana and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Development in Primary Health Care for Anglophone Africa.

It is with great pride that she is joining the panel, a chance, she says, to pay back to the last two years of frontline service the world’s nurses have provided in the most challenging and adverse conditions, not least in the likes of Africa. She said of the awards: “The time has come for nurses to be recognised for their leadership in managing the first line of defence in healthcare. I am overjoyed to be part of the jury of this important award that will make history.”

Additionally, Muralee Thummarukudy, currently the Acting Head of the Resilience to Disasters and Conflicts Global Support Branch of the United Nations Environment Programme, based in Geneva, Switzerland, said, “Nurses are in the frontline for disaster management and pandemic response globally. I am delighted to be part of the Jury.”

“Getting recognised on a global platform for the phenomenal contribution to the service of humanity is what nurses deserve. I am glad about the launch of Aster Guardians, the time has finally come,” said Dr. Carolyn Gomes, Executive Director of Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC) and Special Advisor on External Relations for ProActividad. She is also the Co-Chair of The Caribbean Centre for Human Rights and a Board Member of The Developing Country NGO Delegation to the Global Fund Board.

The first year of the awards and ceremony is being conducted on International Nurses Day in May 2022 by Aster DM Healthcare, with Ernst & Young LLP (EY) as ‘Process Advisors’ to ensure due-diligence of applications based on the defined eligibility criteria, evaluation of the entries by an independent panel of experts, and presentation by the finalists to the independent Grand jury to determine the final winner. The finalists will undergo personal interviews with the jury members who will make the final decisions with the winner to be announced on 12th May, International Nurses Day 2022. With a grand prize of $250,000 for the winner, the remaining nine finalists will each be presented with prizes and awards to recognise their achievements in reaching the final round.