Kenyan nurse Anna Duba bags Ksh.29M prize money after winning global award

Anna Qabale Duba, a Kenyan nurse stationed at the Marsabit County Referral Hospital, on Thursday won the inaugural Aster Guardian Global Nursing Award for endorsing education and campaigning against outdated cultural practices like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in her community.

Duba, who took home USD 250,000 (approx. Ksh.29 million) in prize money, was feted by Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum at an award ceremony held in Dubai, which commemorated the International Nurses Day.

While receiving the award, Duba, the only female graduate in her village, revealed that she, through her Qabale Duba Foundation, had built a school in Marsabit which offers classes to young pupils and adults looking to get a decent education during the day and evening respectively.

"In my wildest dreams I never thought that one day I would be celebrated on a global platform such as this. 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 through education. Illiteracy allows harmful cultural practices such as FGM to thrive in Northern Kenya," she said.

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.

“I could not have imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be acknowledged and celebrated in such a way. This is a win for Kenya, for Africa and the girls in the villages,” said Duba.

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 respective communities.

The nine other finalists each took home USD 5,000 (approx. Ksh.580,000) in prize money.

They included: 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).

Dr. Azad Moopen, Chairman and Founder of Aster Group, underscored that he launched the award since he felt that it was high time that nurses were celebrated for their contribution to the world of medicine globally. 

“Soon after the pandemic, when I was talking to a nurse, trying to find out if she was happy at Aster, her words impressed me. She said, ‘nurses are like curry leaves to food. We lend the essential flavour, but have no recognition beyond that,’" he said.

“I think nurses are the most underpaid and overworked group in the healthcare field. If doctors are the brain of health care, nurses are the heart and soul of healthcare. Yet, they are paid 1/10 of the salary paid to doctors.”