Kenyan Nurse, Anna Qabale Duba won World’s Best Nurse Prize at the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Awards in Dubai and is the first ever winner of the award.
The world celebrated nurse won the award for her works in endorsing education and campaigning against outdated cultural practices like Female Genial Mutilation that is very common in the part of Kenya she hails from.
Duba took home 239,765.00 Euros (approx. ksh. 29 million) in prize money and was feted by Emirate CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum at the award ceremony held in Dubai, which commemorated the International Nurses Day.
While receiving the award, the nurse disclosed that she was the only female graduate in her village and that through her foundation, Qabale Duba Foundation, she had made it possible for young pupils and adults looking to get a decent education during the night and the evening to do so.
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“I come from a place where the illiteracy level is quite high, after having a taste of education I decided to go back and enlighten my people. Illiteracy allows harmful cultural practices such as FGM to thrive in Northern Kenya,” wrote citizen digital quoting her words.
Duba, who was coincidentally celebrating her fifth wedding anniversary on the same day, likewise thanked her husband, friends, family and colleagues for supporting her medical journey.
Ann Duba added that it was a win for Kenya, Africa and all the girls in the villages.
The award was launched in 2021 and received 24,000 nominations from nurses all over the globe. Duba was among nine other finalists who were selected by a grand jury for their works in extending humanitarian care in their communities.
Other finalists were; Kenyan male nurse Dida Jirma Bulle, Francis Michael Fernando (UK), Jasmine Mohammad Sharaf (UAE), Julia Dorothy Downing (UK), Lincy Joseph and Manju Dhandapani (India), Mathew James Ball (Australia), Rachel Abraham Joseph (US) and Waris Mohammad Qarani (Afghanistan).
Chairman and Founder of Aster Group, Dr. Azad Moopen, stated that he launched the award because he felt it was high time that nurses get celebrated for their contribution to the world of medicine globally.