Authors : Catheinne Banda; Andre Philip Nyanjahia

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 1 - January

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5ya56pps

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3e8454c8

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jan663

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Abstract : Child stunting, a critical indicator of chronic undernutrition, persists as a debilitating public health and social justice issue in Malawi, with profound implications for children's lifelong development and national productivity. While multisectoral strategies exist, their execution is hampered by systemic inefficiencies in data management at the point of service delivery. This study investigates the potential of a purpose-designed digital health information system (DHIS) to transform the management of child stunting interventions within a frontline social work practice setting in Biwi, Malawi. Employing a quantitative, cross-sectional design, the study engaged 60 key stakeholders including community social workers, clinic-based nutrition officers, health surveillance assistants, and local government administrators through structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results demonstrate that the proposed DHIS is perceived to offer a substantial improvement over the prevailing manual, paper-based system, particularly in the domains of data accuracy (reduced errors and duplication), processing speed, timeliness of reporting, and support for data-driven decision-making. The study concludes that digital transformation, anchored in social work practice realities, is a pivotal catalyst for strengthening child nutrition interventions. It recommends strategic investment in integrated, user-centered digital platforms coupled with comprehensive capacity building to foster a culture of evidence-based practice within Malawi's social welfare and health sectors.

Keywords : Child Stunting, Digital Health Information Systems (DHIS), Social Work Practice, Data Management, Evidence-Based Intervention, Malawi, Nutrition Surveillance, Health Systems Strengthening.

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