Kenyan Nurse Khadija Juma Honoured in Dubai for Innovative Blood Donation Program

Kenyan nurse Khadija Mohamed Juma was welcomed home Tuesday with celebratory fanfare after being named a top 10 finalist in the prestigious 2025 Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award in Dubai on Monday. 

While Ghana's Naomi Oyoe Ohene Oti secured the top prize, a $250,000 cash award, Juma's recognition resonated deeply within Kenya, highlighting the vital role of nurses in transforming healthcare through innovative, localised solutions. Governor Abdulswamad Sherrif Nassir led the reception for Juma in Mombasa, commending her unwavering commitment and impactful contributions to healthcare. 

He emphasised that her success placed Kenya prominently on the global healthcare map, underscoring the significance of her achievement amidst a pool of over 100,000 applicants from 199 countries. Juma's recognition stems from her groundbreaking initiative, RedSplash, designed to address the critical need for timely blood donations. As a nurse at Tudor Sub-County Hospital, she witnessed the tragic consequences of delayed blood transfusions, including the preventable death of a friend's mother. 

This spurred her to create RedSplash, a smart, algorithm-driven system connecting blood donors with patients in real-time, aiming to deliver blood "faster than pizza."

RedSplash has evolved from a grassroots campaign, initially mobilising donors in schools and mosques, into a nationwide movement revolutionising Kenya's blood donation approach. Juma envisions expanding RedSplash, establishing Kenya's first independent blood bank and introducing mobile donation units to reach underserved communities.

Launched in 2021, the Aster Guardians Global Nursing Award recognises nurses' instrumental role in healthcare innovation and community impact. The 2025 ceremony included dignitaries such as UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan and WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who lauded Aster's recognition of frontline healthcare workers.