2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award Winner Provides Scholarships to Ten Postgraduate Specialist Nursing and Midwifery Trainees

Ten nurses and midwives pursuing postgraduate specialist training at the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives today received scholarship support through a legacy initiative of the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award (AGGNA) winner, Mrs. Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti.

The scholarship presentation ceremony was held at the premises of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives and brought together the College's leadership, faculty members, representatives of the Cancer Care Africa Foundation (CanCAF), and the scholarship beneficiaries

The scholarship scheme is one of the flagship legacy projects of Mrs. Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti, the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award winner, who is an Oncology Nurse Specialist, and the Executive Director of the Cancer Care Africa Foundation (CanCAF). Through CanCAF, Mrs. Ohene Oti is committed to strengthening specialist nursing and midwifery education in Ghana by supporting healthcare professionals pursuing advanced training.

Speaking at the event, Mrs. Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti noted that postgraduate specialist training in Ghana is largely self-funded and often places significant financial demands on trainees. The scholarship program was established to help ease this burden and enable beneficiaries to focus on their academic and clinical training.

She emphasized that capacity building remains central to CanCAF's mission and that investing in specialist nurses and midwives is critical to improving healthcare outcomes across the country. She further highlighted the importance of specialized care, particularly in areas such as cancer care, where advanced knowledge, clinical expertise, and compassionate care are essential to improving the lives of patients and their families

The Rector of the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives,Dr. Gloria Achempim-Ansong welcomed the initiative and expressed appreciation for the support being provided to specialist trainees. They noted that investments in specialist education contribute significantly to strengthening Ghana's healthcare workforce and improving the quality of care delivered to patients.

The scholarship beneficiaries expressed gratitude for the support and pledged to utilize the opportunity to further develop their skills and competencies in service of patients, families, and communities.

CanCAF also expressed its sincere appreciation to Aster DM Healthcare and the organizers of the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award for their vision in recognizing nursing excellence and empowering nurses to lead transformative healthcare initiatives. Their support has enabled the implementation of legacy projects that extend the impact of the award beyond individual recognition to meaningful investments in healthcare education, capacity building, and patient care.

Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Mrs Naomi Ohene Oti stated:

"This scholarship programme reflects our commitment to investing in the future of healthcare in Ghana. I am deeply grateful to Aster DM Healthcare and the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award organizers for providing a platform that not only recognizes nursing excellence but also enables awardees to create lasting impact in their communities. This scholarship program is one example of how that vision is being translated into meaningful support for the next generation of specialist nurses and midwives in Ghana."

As the implementing organization for the AGGNA legacy projects, CanCAF continues to drive initiatives focused on capacity building, cancer care improvement, professional development, research, patient advocacy, and health promotion across Africa.

The scholarship program marks an important step toward building a stronger specialist nursing and midwifery workforce and reflects a shared commitment to advancing healthcare outcomes in Ghana.