Meet the 2025 AANP International Advanced Practice Nurse Ambassadors
Media Contact: Bryan Black
Ambassadors efforts are paving the way for stronger, more accessible care worldwide.
Austin, Texas — The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is pleased to announce three advanced practice nurses (APNs) who have been selected as 2025 AANP International APN Ambassadors. These exceptional nurses will enjoy an exclusive opportunity to exchange knowledge with and be mentored by distinguished nurse practitioner (NP) leaders. The AANP International Ambassador Program was established to provide NPs and other nurses from countries with emerging APN roles the ability to establish relationships with each other, AANP members, gain new perspectives about the NP role; and accelerate the development of advanced practice nursing within their countries.
Congratulations to Sumayyah Altariqi, FNP, from Saudi Arabia; Cecilia Ndungu, APN, from Kenya; and Haruna Seidu, RGN (Dip), RNP (BSc), MPH, from Ghana!
Sumayyah Altariqi is an NP at King Abdullah Medical City, Saudi Arabia, specializing in heart failure care. She earned her master of science in nursing as a family nurse practitioner (FNP) from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and gained hands-on experience during her training in the heart failure clinic at University Hospital in Cleveland.
Board-certified as a registered nurse (RN) and licensed as a certified NP in Ohio, Sumayyah has been a member of AANP since 2022. She played a key role in establishing the heart failure NP service at King Abdullah Medical City and is proud to be part of the pioneering efforts to advance the NP role in Saudi Arabia. Passionate about improving patient outcomes by enhancing health care accessibility and quality, she is dedicated to advancing heart failure care through innovation, education and evidence-based practice.
Cecilia Ndungu is a distinguished RN and global nurse leader dedicated to advancing health care innovation, digital health and nursing education. As an International Council of Nurses' Global Nursing Leadership Institute Alumni, Cecilia is at the forefront of shaping policy, nursing leadership and health care technology integration. She also serves as Afro Region Co-chair for the Nursing Now Challenge, driving interdisciplinary collaboration and leadership development.
Driven by a passion for improving patient care and expanding health care access, Cecilia became an NP to bridge gaps in health care delivery, enhance evidence-based practice and advocate for nursing leadership in advanced care settings. Holding a master’s in advanced practice nursing from Aga Khan University, Kenya, Cecilia has led health care transformation initiatives, optimized patient care systems and championed policies for global health equity. With multiple international recognitions and a strong professional network, she remains at the forefront of nursing innovation, advocacy and education.
Seidu has dedicated himself to the Ghana Health Service for almost two decades. He currently works as both a nurse manager and NP in the Sene West District Hospital in Ghana, overseeing the daily nursing and midwifery services and conducting the general outpatient departments. He also has a teaching appointment with Wisconsin International University College in Kumasi, where he provides student nurses and midwives with physiology education.
In 2023, Seidu was elected as the National Chairperson for the Nurse Practitioners Society of Ghana. He has helped train more than 200 staff members at the Kintampo Municipal Hospital to reduce the social stigma and discrimination against individuals living with HIV. He has also worked tirelessly to improve his region’s pediatric outcomes by identifying critical areas that contributed to delays in care at the hospital. Seidu received a Presidential Award for COVID-19 Heroes and is also a four-time winner of the U.S Navy Medicine Man Power Personnel Training and Education Command Award.
“As the NP profession continues to expand across the globe, advanced practice nurses are shaping and strengthening the role within their own countries,” said AANP President Stephen A. Ferrara, DNP. “AANP is proud to honor these international ambassadors for their visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to holistic, person-centered care. Their work is forging a path toward more equitable, accessible health care worldwide.”
As AANP strives to empower all NPs to advance accessible, person-centered, equitable, high-quality health care for diverse communities through practice, education, advocacy, research and leadership, the association recognizes the importance of advanced practice nursing worldwide. AANP seeks to increase its global impact by continuing to build relationships within the international APN community and increasing the rich diversity of experiences and perspectives from which NP practice can benefit.
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The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization for nurse practitioners (NPs) of all specialties. It represents the interests of the more than 431,000 licensed NPs in the U.S. AANP provides legislative leadership at the local, state and national levels, advancing health policy; promoting excellence in practice, education and research; and establishing standards that best serve NPs' patients and other health care consumers. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, AANP represents the interests of NPs as providers of high-quality, cost-effective, comprehensive, patient-centered health care. To locate an NP in your community, visit npfinder.com. For more information about NPs, visit aanp.org.