6th February 2025
Sello Motseta
Botswana Post has launched the innovative Post4Health initiative ensuring that essential medicines, vaccines, and medical supplies reach all corners of the country—particularly our most underserved communities officials have revealed.
Minister of Communications and Innovation, David Tshere, said “This initiative supports Pillar 2 of Vision 2036, which focuses on human and social development, emphasizing the need for a resilient healthcare system that delivers quality and equitable services to all. The introduction of temperature-controlled logistics vehicles demonstrates how Botswana is using technology and smart partnerships to meet these national objectives.”
He said, “Our mandate is to ensure the equitable distribution of critical services, including healthcare, financial inclusion, and social protection. Botswana Post has been a trusted partner in this mission, helping us expand service delivery beyond urban centres.”
Officials stressed that this initiative aligns with the Botswana Health Policy, which prioritizes strengthening health systems through innovation, efficiency, and sustainable logistics solutions. Botswana Post in this framework is critical, as they provide the necessary infrastructure to support Government’s healthcare goals.
Post4Health also aligns with Botswana’s Climate Change Policy by integrating energy-efficient cold-chain logistics into our medical supply distribution system. The use of temperature-controlled vehicles ensures that Botswana meets global best practices in sustainable healthcare logistics, reducing wastage and improving supply chain efficiency.
One of the key pillars of Government’s economic and social strategy is strengthening collaborations between public institutions, development partners, and private sector stakeholders. The success of Post4Health is a clear demonstration of how such partnerships can drive meaningful impact. The financial and technical support from the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is an example of how global partnerships can bring direct benefits to Batswana, improving service delivery and advancing our country’s development goals.
Tsere said, “It gives me great pleasure to officially launch four (4) temperature controlled, fibre insulated vehicles to the BotswanaPost fleet. These vehicles are not just an addition to BotswanaPost’s fleet – they represent a major advancement in Botswana’s healthcare distribution network.”
The Universal Postal Union (UPU) leads the way in strengthening the capacity of Posts to deliver health policies, products and services through Post4Health.
With more than 650,000 post offices worldwide, most of which are located in rural and isolated areas, the UPU Post4Health project aims to stimulate the capacity of postal operators to deliver health products, policies and services to the public.
Cornelius Ramatlhakwane, Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Botswana Post, said “Post4Health was created during the early stages of COVID-19 vaccine deployment and delivery, when countries needed ultra-cold-chain equipment. However, very few Posts already had cold- or ultra-cold-chain logistics in place.”
He said, “With over three billion people living in rural or isolated areas, the successful delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine was arguably the greatest logistical challenge ever faced by humankind. Postal operators once again proved the postal network’s value as a key infrastructure by delivering not only their core services, but also a full range of new social, economic and health-related services, such as the distribution of tests, personal protection equipment and medicines.”
With guidance, expertise and advice from the UPU in partnership with the World Health Organization, Posts are able to form part of the solution by supporting governments during the pandemic.
“Post4Health aims to help cement posts positions as key players in the distribution of public health campaigns and programs. The aim is to ensure that wherever possible the postal sector can help with vaccine distribution, while having a longer term perspective, which is to build the capacity of posts to deliver health products and health services –beyond the Covid-19 vaccine distribution challenge,’ said Ramatlhakwane.
He said, “Today, Post4Health is much broader and continues to help strengthen the value of one of the world’s biggest networks by delivering not only vaccines, but also health products and services, leveraging the postal network for last-mile delivery. In many countries, the post office is the official distributor of medical equipment to facilities across the nation.”
Posts are facing new challenges caused by climate change, higher global temperatures and the increase in demand for medicine, leading to an inadequate distribution of cold-chain transportation resources.
Post4Health therefore provides important support to post offices to help them meet delivery challenges and ensure temperature-controlled logistics and the provision of services at very low temperatures.
Nathan Kgabi, Botswana Post Chairperson, said “. Through the Universal Service Obligation, no Motswana is left behind-ensuring access to healthcare logistics, financial inclusion, and secure communications. Post4Health is a direct extension of this mandate, demonstrating how Botswana Post is actively bridging service gaps.”
He said, “One of the ways we fulfil our commitment is through strategic Smart Partnerships, such as our long-standing collaboration with Central Medical Stores (CMS), which began in 2012. Acknowledging the logistical challenges of reaching healthcare facilities, especially in remote areas, Botswana Post has utilized its extensive delivery network to assist the Ministry of Health in ensuring equitable access to healthcare.”
BotswanaPost has been an active participant in the Universal Postal Union (UPU), leveraging global partnerships to enhance service delivery. Over the years, we have successfully implemented several projects with UPU support, including:
- DigiPost devices (Japan Special Fund) to improve digital accessibility.
- Posa’it SuperApp (FITAF Fund) to enhance financial inclusion.
- Disaster Risk Management support through the procurement of satellite phones and BotswanaPost was awarded a sponsorship by the Universal Postal Union (UPU)’s Disaster Recovery Management (DRM) fund for the development of 5 solar powered Post Offices and 7 satellite phones.
“Today, through UPU’s Post4Health Fund, we have secured CHF 150,000 (P2.35 million) to procure four specialized temperature-controlled vehicles. This investment strengthens our ability to ensure last-mile delivery of vaccines, medicines, and critical health supplies, maintaining strict temperature controls throughout transit,” said Kgabi.
As BotswanaPost continues to evolve, it remains focused on delivering value beyond mail and parcels. Our role in healthcare logistics, e-commerce, financial services, and national security reinforces our position as a critical enabler of social and economic development.
