One Health | Traditional knowledge | Public engagement
Healthy people depend on healthy food systems and a healthy environment. This connection gave particular relevance to the Faculty of Agriculture's celebration of Ayurveda Day at the University of Mauritius.
Held under the theme Ayurveda for a Healthier Tomorrow One Health One Future, the event brought together representatives from academia, government, healthcare and the Indian High Commission. It explored how traditional knowledge can contribute to contemporary health discussions while remaining connected to scientific investigation, quality education and responsible practice.
The celebration also marked the launch of an Ayurveda Information Corner at the University Library, creating a new resource for learning, research and public engagement.
Central message
Traditional knowledge should be preserved alongside rigorous research, ethical responsibility, reliable education and patient safety.
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| Scientific research can connect medicinal-plant knowledge with evidence, quality and safety |
An agricultural perspective on One Health
The One Health approach connects human well-being with the health of animals, plants and the environment. For the Faculty of Agriculture, it provides a valuable framework for examining the relationship between food production, nutrition, biodiversity and public health.
Speakers highlighted Ayurveda's emphasis on balanced nutrition, daily routines, mental well-being and harmony with nature. These themes create opportunities for agricultural teaching and research to engage with broader questions. How can food systems support healthier diets? How can medicinal plants be studied and cultivated sustainably? How can local knowledge be documented while respecting the communities that preserve it?
The discussions encouraged collaboration across agriculture, food science, nutrition, medicine and biotechnology. Such collaboration could connect knowledge of plants and food production with research into their composition, quality, safety and potential uses.
Agricultural opportunities
- Sustainable cultivation and conservation of medicinal plants
- Research on the nutritional quality and safety of foods
- Study of how growing, harvesting and processing affect plant quality
- Public education linking food production, nutrition and health
Traditional knowledge and scientific responsibility
A strong emphasis across the speeches was the need for evidence. Traditional practices can provide questions and ideas for research, but their safety and effectiveness require careful evaluation.
For agriculture, this principle is particularly relevant to medicinal plants. Research opportunities extend from plant identification and cultivation to the influence of growing conditions, harvesting and processing on quality. These are possible areas of contribution for the Faculty, building on the event's call for interdisciplinary investigation.
Speakers also emphasised that research must respect the holders of traditional knowledge through appropriate consent, acknowledgement and fair arrangements. Preserving this knowledge therefore requires both scientific care and ethical responsibility.
Traditional knowledge can guide research questions, but health claims must still be assessed through reliable evidence.
Prevention nutrition and public awareness
The speeches drew attention to Mauritius's burden of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. Healthy diets, physical activity and other preventive practices were discussed as important components of well-being alongside conventional healthcare.
This focus reinforces the relevance of agriculture to public health. The foods we produce, their nutritional quality and the ways people understand and use them all shape dietary choices. It also creates opportunities for students and researchers to contribute to public education on food and nutrition.
The final address offered a more personal reflection on family health traditions and the importance of caring for one's health before illness develops. Alongside this appreciation of heritage, the event's broader message remained clear: healthcare decisions should be guided by reliable evidence and patient safety.
A resource for learning and collaboration
The Ayurveda Information Corner was presented as a starting point for sustained activity. Beyond access to literature, speakers envisaged lectures, workshops, student projects, research discussions and community outreach.
India-Mauritius cooperation was also highlighted through the AYUSH academic chair, training opportunities, scholarships and institutional partnerships. A planned AYUSH Centre of Excellence was described as a further opportunity to strengthen cooperation in traditional medicine.
From resource to activity
The Information Corner can support lectures, student projects, interdisciplinary research, professional discussions and community engagement.
For the Faculty of Agriculture, the celebration opens a conversation about how agricultural knowledge can contribute to healthier communities. By bringing together food, plants, environmental stewardship and rigorous research, that conversation can help translate the One Health theme into meaningful teaching, enquiry and public engagement.
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