The Universal Postal Union’s Post4Health initiative continues to expand its reach by strengthening healthcare logistics through the postal network. Launched in 2025, the project in Côte d’Ivoire is supporting La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire in improving the safe and timely delivery of essential medical supplies, particularly in remote and underserved rural areas.
La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire plays a strategic role as a trusted logistics partner in key economic sectors, including healthcare. Through Post4Health, the postal operator is reinforcing its capacity to serve as a reliable link between health authorities, laboratories and healthcare facilities across the country, helping to ensure that vital medical products reach communities in need.Enhancing last-mile delivery for healthcare
A key component of the initiative in Côte d’Ivoire is the public procurement of specialized transport equipment by La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire. This includes the acquisition of one truck, two vans, one light commercial vehicle and eight motorcycles. These assets will be used for the collection and transport of biological samples, blood bags and medical equipment, as well as the delivery of coolers and the return of laboratory results to relay laboratories and health facilities.
By strengthening its logistics fleet, La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire will improve service quality and ensure timely deliveries, even in hard-to-reach areas. This enhanced capacity will directly contribute to improved access to healthcare services and more efficient medical supply chains nationwide.
Speaking at the official equipment handover ceremony held in December 2025, Mr Laurent Raymond Assoua, Director of Cabinet of the Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization, representing the Minister, praised what he described as “exemplary cooperation between the Ministry of Digital Transition and Digitalization, the Ministry of Health and La Poste de Côte d’Ivoire.”
“The digital sector is a powerful accelerator,” he noted, “but it does not replace wheels, motorcycles, or the women and men on the ground who reach the very last village. La Poste Côte d’Ivoire embodies this essential complementarity between digital and physical solutions in the service of the common good.”
Expanding healthcare logistics through partnerships
Post4Health was launched during the early stages of COVID-19 vaccine deployment, when many countries lacked the cold chain infrastructure required for safe delivery. It has since evolved to support the broader distribution of health products and services, leveraging the postal network’s last-mile reach.
The project in Côte d’Ivoire joins other Post4Health initiatives implemented in countries including Argentina, Namibia and Botswana, demonstrating how postal operators can strengthen national health systems while diversifying their activities beyond traditional postal services.
The successful implementation of the UPU’s Post4Health relies on donor support. Contributions from La Poste (France) and Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) are strengthening healthcare logistics through the postal network and extending essential services to communities most in need.
Through Post4Health, the UPU continues to work with governments, health authorities and postal operators to build resilient, inclusive and sustainable healthcare delivery systems, ensuring that no community is left behind.