By Jones Gadama
Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Hon. Mary Navicha, put action to words today as she officially launched the Child Protection Information Management System in Lilongwe, a digital platform set to transform how Malawi tracks and responds to cases of child abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
The CPIMS platform was unveiled before government officials, development partners, and child protection officers.
It is designed to centralize case data, improve coordination between districts and agencies, and give frontline workers real-time access to reliable information when making decisions about vulnerable children.
Known for rolling up her sleeves rather than just talking policy, Navicha has once again shown why colleagues describe her as a hardworking minister whose hands are speaking for her.
Under her leadership, the Ministry has prioritized practical tools over paperwork, pushing for systems that directly improve service delivery at community level.
Speaking at the launch, Navicha said CPIMS will close long-standing gaps in data collection that have slowed interventions. “When we have timely and accurate information, we make better decisions. This system means a child in Chitipa and a child in Nsanje will be protected by the same standard of response,” she told the gathering. She added that the platform will help social welfare officers identify patterns, allocate resources efficiently, and ensure no child falls through the cracks.
The Minister stressed that child protection is not just a government responsibility.
She called on councils, NGOs, and communities to embrace the system and use it to strengthen prevention and early response.
Development partners welcomed the rollout as a milestone.Speaking on their behalf, ANAPA Country Director Rosalia Indongo said CPIMS represents a major step forward for Malawi’s child protection architecture. She noted that quality data empowers stakeholders to pinpoint needs, act faster, and measure whether interventions are actually improving children’s lives.
CPIMS is already active in 16 districts, supported by Save the Children, World Vision, Plan International Malawi and other partners.
Officials say the phased rollout will continue to cover more districts, with training for social workers and community child protection committees.
For Navicha, the launch is another chapter in a record of delivery. From disability inclusion programs to social cash transfers and child welfare reforms, her tenure has been marked by visible projects that translate policy into impact.
With CPIMS now live, her ministry has added a powerful digital tool to its arsenal, one that could redefine how Malawi safeguards its most vulnerable citizens.
