National Technical Advisory Team Convened for UNESCO’s O3Plus Project Progress

The meeting gathered 43 key stakeholders from sectors such as line ministries (Ministry of Education Science and Technology, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Community Development Gender Women and Special Groups), other government bodies (NATCOM, TACAIDS), and Higher and Tertiary Education Institutions (HTEIs). The primary objectives were to review ongoing initiatives, provide technical guidance, and prepare a concise country progress report covering the project's inception to date.

The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Mathias Luhanya, National Professional Officer EHW, who highlighted the importance of collaboration and aligning shared objectives within the O3Plus Project. In his remarks, he acknowledged the substantial progress made in Higher Learning Institutions and stressed the need to maintain this momentum to achieve the project's goals.

During the meeting, the team reviewed progress since the project's inception, focusing on achievements, opportunities, and challenges. They provided technical guidance on key issues such as policy updates, peer educator training, improvements to the CSE online course (to include gender-disaggregated data), and the generation and sharing of project-related information. The discussion also covered the midterm evaluation and coordination of the nine newly joined institutions, culminating in the preparation of a brief progress report.

Through internal fund mobilization we were able to sustain some of the project interventions such as training of peer educators

Several stakeholders shared their insights and feedback, enriching the discussion on the impact of current interventions. The meeting also included open dialogue, giving participants the opportunity to raise concerns, highlight successes, and propose innovative ideas.