From the heart of Ghana’s busiest cancer ward, Naomi Oti, a nurse, has spent two decades strengthening cancer care through practice, training, and leadership. Her journey reflects how African professionals across fields are shaping progress with skill, purpose, and vision.
Bonface Orucho, Bird Story Agency
At the crack of dawn, long before the hospital corridors fill with footsteps and clipped conversations, Ms Oti has already started her rounds.
She begins her day with a devotion, a prayer, a moment of spiritual grounding before immersing herself in the organised ‘chaos’ of Ghana’s largest public oncology centre.
“Once the first patient arrives, your day has started, whether it’s official time or not. You’re responsible,” she says.
By 7:00 a.m., she’s inspecting wards, checking chemotherapy protocols, coaching junior staff, and coordinating complex multidisciplinary meetings.
This is a typical morning for Ms Oti, the unassuming yet tenacious nerve centre of cancer care at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital’s National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine centre in Accra.
This relentless, decades-long commitment to compassionate care and systemic reform recently earned her the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, a global recognition that brought tears, applause, and US$250,000 to her name. She is the first African to win the award.
Presented in Dubai by United Arab Emirate (UAE) Minister, Nahyan Al-Nahyan, the award honored her, not just as a caregiver, but as an innovator and continental changemaker.
Now in its fourth year, the award drew over 100,000 applicants from 199 countries, positioning her as the singular global laureate in a field too often overlooked.
“To be honoured with the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award is deeply humbling. This recognition is not mine alone; it belongs to every nurse across Ghana, Africa, and the world who leads with resilience, compassion, and courage,” Ms Oti said.
Her story begins not in lecture halls or conference rooms, but in the workers’ quarters of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, where her father worked.
She recalled, “There was a nurse in our compound who everyone admired. She was always present, day or night. Her compassion, her competence, her sharp white uniform… I saw how people trusted her.”
As a child, she often accompanied neighbors to clinics, asked questions others wouldn’t dare, and relished time in hospitals. A late-night emergency, treated by that same nurse, cemented her calling.
“I liked how she stitched my wound, calmed my parents, and explained everything. I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like her.’” Ms Oti recalled.
Later, an encounter with a young woman battling recurring breast cancer would steer the Ghanaian nurse toward oncology.
“She was in so much pain. I asked the doctors what more we could do, but they said she had exhausted her options. That helplessness pushed me to focus on cancer care. I wanted to offer more,” she recalled.
Ms Oti joined Korle-Bu’s newly formed cancer centre and never looked back. Two decades on, she hasn’t just built a career; she’s reshaped cancer care in Ghana.
A clinical oncologist, Naa Aryeetey, who has worked with Ms Oti for 15 years, calls her “the most reliable person in the room.”
“Even before she became Head of Nursing, she was lobbying, training, and improving protocols. She never waited for a title to lead,” Aryeetey said.
Ms Oti has paid for her own training, attended global cancer conferences, and always returned to share knowledge. Under her leadership, Ghana’s oncology nurse training has expanded from three trainees to over sixty.
She co-developed Ghana’s postgraduate oncology nursing curriculum in 2015, giving nurses a defined path to specialise.
Her influence extends beyond Ghana. She’s a member of African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), a co-investigator on the Global Bridges Oncology GM Grant, and a contributor to International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, (ISNCC) guidelines. She has mentored over 48 oncology nurses across Africa and serves as global faculty for American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)’s Multidisciplinary Cancer Management Courses (MCMC).
Back home, the system she leads is under immense strain. Ghana has only two public cancer centers for a population of over 30 million. Machines are few, staff are stretched. Burnout is constant.
“There’s compassion fatigue, emotional burdens, and pressure. But we care for our staff too, with peer support, psychologists, and community because if we’re not well, our patients won’t be either,” Ms Oti stated.
One of her most urgent messages is the inclusion of nurses in policy making.
“Nurses are often excluded from high-level decisions. But we’re the largest health workforce. If we’re not at the table, health systems won’t serve people effectively.”
Her philosophy is simple: “Quality care is not a privilege. It’s a right.”
The Aster award placed her work on the world stage.
According to the Founder/Chairman of Aster DM Healthcare, Azad Moopen, a doctor, Ms Oti has redefined what it means to be a nurse, not just as a caregiver but as an innovator, leader, and changemaker.
The Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alisha Moopen, added: “Her story is a powerful reminder of the quiet heroism that unfolds every day in hospitals and communities across the world.”
The award’s scale is significant: over 100,000 applicants from 199 countries, a global jury of healthcare leaders, and a rigorous, EY-audited process. Ms Oti’s win was not just personal, it was continental.
In her words: “This award will help amplify our impact, scaling training, building faculty, and inspiring the next generation of oncology nurses across Africa.”
She’s already putting the prize to work. Her plans include finalising Africa-wide competencies for cancer nurses, launching a leadership hub, funding advanced training scholarships, and developing a genetic counselling program for hereditary cancers.
Though the Aster award is her most high-profile honor, Ms Oti has a trail of accolades behind her.
In 2014, she was named Best Nurse in her department. In 2016, she received the ISNCC Past President’s Award. In 2022, Ghana’s Ministry of Health honored her with an Excellence Award. She was also awarded the Dr. Dorcia Kisseh International Award in 2023.
Each, she insists, reflects collective effort.
“This isn’t just about me. It’s about every nurse who dares to serve, even when the odds are against them.”
When asked how she hopes to be remembered, she doesn’t hesitate.
“As someone who uplifted nurses. Who helped them see the power they carry and who helped build lasting structures for cancer care in Africa.”
Despite the global spotlight, she stays grounded.
“Sometimes, just one patient saying, ‘Thank you. God bless you.’ That’s what carries me. That’s success.”
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