The Government of Mauritius has made mental health a national priority for its schools and communities, launching a programme founded by India-born Dr. Ishan Shivanand and drawn from one of India’s oldest knowledge systems. His Excellency Mr Dharambeer Gokhool, President of the Republic, hosted the launch at State House. It is the first time a national government has adopted the programme, whose meditation and resilience practices have been validated in peer-reviewed medical research.
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H.E. President Dharambeer Gokhool of Mauritius and Dr. Ishan Shivanand of Compassion Unites launch the national mental health programme at State House, 8 July 2026
“Mauritius is honoured to become one of the countries where this cross-sector alliance now takes root,” said President Gokhool. “Because ultimately, the strength of a nation is not measured only by its economic achievements or physical development, but by the wellbeing of its people. The true wealth of a nation lies not only in what it builds, but in how it cares for its people.”
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Dr. Ishan Shivanand of Compassion Unites addresses delegates at State House in Mauritius, 8 July 2026
Raised in a monastery, Shivanand trained for years in ancient martial arts, breathwork, and meditation practices, a discipline of body, breath and mind rather than stillness alone. He codified what he had mastered into structured protocols and put them through clinical studies with leading universities in the United States. The results, published in peer-reviewed international medical journals, documented up to 80% improvement in symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Shivanand’s protocols are already used in clinical and corporate settings internationally, including at Google. With the launch in Mauritius, a national government has adopted them for an entire population. The fact that this comes in a nation whose history and culture are closely bound to India gives it particular resonance. A practice preserved for centuries, carried into modern clinical use by the Indian-born practitioner who mastered it, is now being written into another country’s approach to national mental healthcare.
Dr. Ishan Shivanand said, “For too long we have treated mental health as a private battle fought in silence. It is a public emergency, now magnified by AI. The Republic of Mauritius has chosen to break that silence, prioritising the wellbeing of its citizens and making care accessible to every individual. The answers the world is searching for have been held in India’s contemplative traditions for centuries, and Mauritius is the first nation to put them to work at scale. What has begun here is a blueprint the world can follow.”
The programme’s first national event brings that resilience-building into practice through sport. Compassion Unites is staging a Kun Khmer championship at the Cote d’Or National Sports Complex that builds discipline and confidence in young people.
The launch at State House marks the start of a sustained national effort, one its founder intends as a model other governments can study and adapt. A tradition India has held for centuries is now being adopted, at the scale of a nation, beyond its borders.
About Compassion Unites
Compassion Unites is a cross-sector mental health alliance bringing together corporates, governments, faith institutions, academic centres, and community networks to expand access to mental health support worldwide. Learn more at compassionunites.com.
About Dr. Ishan Shivanand
Dr. Ishan Shivanand is an academic, philanthropist and founder of Compassion Unites. Raised in a monastery, he trained within one of India’s oldest knowledge systems before bringing its practices into modern clinical research. His work has been published in peer-reviewed international medical journals. An award-winning author of the USA Today national bestseller, The Practice of Immortality, he has been recognised by the U.S. Congress, received by the U.K. Parliament, and invited to the White House to advise on the opioid crisis. He holds research affiliations with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and Stanford University.
Dr. Shivanand is available for media interviews and speaking engagements on mental health and the science of meditation.
