Dr Pooja Sabharwal
Ayurveda Chair, University of Mauritius
Mauritius, with its multicultural heritage and longstanding ties with India, offers a unique environment for the growth of Ayurveda as a holistic and preventive healthcare system. The establishment of the Ayurveda Chair at the University of Mauritius marks an important step towards strengthening academic engagement, public awareness, research, and international collaboration in Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is witnessing growing interest in Mauritius through dedicated Ayurveda services, wellness initiatives, yoga-related activities, and increasing awareness regarding preventive and lifestyle-based healthcare. The multicultural setting of Mauritius provides significant opportunities for dialogue between traditional knowledge systems and modern scientific approaches.
The activities conducted under the Ayurveda Chair have focused on academic lectures, public awareness programmes, interdisciplinary discussions, and community engagement initiatives. Sessions have addressed themes such as personalized nutrition, preventive healthcare, mental wellbeing, gut–brain axis, sustainable lifestyles, and the relevance of Ayurveda in addressing non-communicable diseases and global health challenges.
Public outreach activities, media participation, and collaborative engagements with educational and healthcare institutions have further contributed to increasing awareness about integrative and preventive healthcare approaches rooted in Ayurveda.
The continued encouragement and support of the High Commission of India in Mauritius have played an important role in strengthening India–Mauritius cooperation in the areas of Ayurveda, Yoga, wellness, and traditional knowledge systems. The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Mauritius has also provided a valuable interdisciplinary academic platform for meaningful collaboration and dialogue between Ayurveda and contemporary health sciences.
The vision is to further develop Mauritius as an emerging regional hub for Ayurveda education, research, wellness, and international collaboration. Planned initiatives include interdisciplinary research, academic exchange programmes, training activities, collaborative workshops, and evidence-based studies integrating Ayurveda with public health, nutrition, lifestyle medicine, epigenetics, and sustainable healthcare systems.
Ayurveda aligns strongly with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting good health, quality education, preventive healthcare, sustainable lifestyles, and harmony between humans and nature. With growing institutional collaboration and public interest, Ayurveda has the potential to contribute meaningfully to the future of integrative and sustainable healthcare in Mauritius and beyond.
Ayurveda is not only a traditional medical system but also a living knowledge tradition with enduring relevance for global wellbeing and sustainable living.
