The Universal Postal Union (UPU) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have maintained a long-standing partnership since an agreement was signed in 1999. With post offices often serving as trusted community hubs especially in remote and underserved areas, this partnership has recognized the postal network’s unique potential and worked towards a future where everyday infrastructure supports vital public health services.

In April 2025, a new partnership agreement was finalized between the UPU and WHO to strengthen collaboration between UPU’s Post4Health and WHO SPECS 2030 initiatives. The agreement, signed by Dr Jérôme Salomon, WHO Assistant Director General, and the UPU Director General Masahiko Metoki, marked the beginning of a bold new approach to vision care. At its core, the initiative introduces a powerful and innovative concept, a service delivery model for the provision of affordable reading glasses through India’s extensive postal network. The pilot phase will be launched in the state of Assam, integrating service implementation with community outreach to ensure equitable access.

1. SPECS 2030 and Post4Health pilot project: As part of WHO’s efforts to address the leading cause of vision impairment globally -uncorrected refractive error, UPU and WHO will pilot the delivery of affordable reading glasses through the postal network in India. This scalable model is designed to be adaptable for use in other countries, leveraging postal outlets as points of service and complemented by local awareness campaigns to boost access and demand.

2. Public health logistics and outreach: Within the broader Post4Health initiative, WHO has provided valuable technical advice to improve the health logistics component of UPU’s projects. WHO also contributed digital content to enhance public outreach, raise awareness, and communicate health risks, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Postal security and health: UPU and WHO have partnered to further the secure transportation of infectious and diagnostic substances through the postal network. This collaboration includes the development of training and awareness campaigns aimed at postal operators.

This strategic partnership highlights the growing role of postal services in advancing global health equity by delivering essential services to the areas that need them the most.

For more information on the Post4Health initiative, see here.

For more information about WHO's work in eye care the SPECS 2030 initiative, see here.