Two decades ago, a young nurse-in-training met a cancer patient who changed the course of her life. Today, that nurse—Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti—is one of the world’s leading voices in oncology nursing and the winner of the 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award, a title she earned out of 100,000 nominees worldwide.
From a single, painful encounter with a breast cancer patient during her final year in nursing school to leading systemic changes in cancer care across Ghana and beyond, Oti’s journey is nothing short of revolutionary.
“She looked just like me,” Oti recalled. “In age, in spirit. I knew I had to change the story for someone else.”
Starting With Nothing But Determination
At just 22 years old, Oti joined Ghana’s only cancer treatment center—the National Radiotherapy Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Centre at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. At the time, there was just one trained oncology nurse in the entire system.
With limited resources and immense emotional pressure, Oti and her colleagues became pioneers—learning, lobbying, comforting, and training—often all in the same day.
Her crowning achievement? Leading the development of Ghana’s first online oncology nursing training program, which was later institutionalized by the Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives. That win, she says, wasn’t just hers—it belonged to every cancer patient in Ghana.
Integrating Faith, Culture, and Science
Oti’s impact goes far beyond the hospital walls. In a country where cancer is often misinterpreted as a spiritual punishment, she has helped reframe the narrative.
“We don’t dismiss spiritual beliefs. We work with them,” she said.
By inviting pastors, imams, and traditional leaders into patient care and introducing psychological support and counseling, Oti bridges the gap between cultural identity and modern medicine.
A Legacy of Mentorship and Movement-Building
Perhaps most remarkable is the ripple effect of her mentorship. Nurses trained by Oti have gone on to launch oncology units, organize screenings, and even shape health policy in Ghana’s remote districts—bringing life-saving care closer to the people.
“This is how we change a system—not from above, but through a thousand empowered hands.”
From Ghana to the World Stage
Despite her relentless work, Oti was stunned to learn she’d been nominated for the prestigious Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award—by a colleague from Kenya. And even more stunned to win.
The recognition has brought international attention to her mission, along with the resources to expand it. She is now:
- Developing Africa-wide competencies for cancer nurses
- Building a leadership training hub for oncology professionals
- Launching a scholarship fund for nursing education
- Creating a genetic counseling program to tackle hereditary cancers
For Oti, this is no longer a profession. It’s a calling.
“Every wound you dress, every patient you console—it’s an act of justice,” she told young nurses. “Be the voice of the voiceless.”
We’re Just Getting Started
At 46, with 24 years of service behind her, Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti is far from finished. Her journey—sparked by one woman’s pain—has become a continental movement in cancer care. And as she says, with a quiet fierceness:
“This is my story. But it’s also Ghana’s story. And Africa’s. We’re just getting started.”
This news story was culled from an article published by Business Insider Africa.
