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AimHealth workers are the key drivers for strengthening Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) program information management in the health facilities. Thus understanding how health workers perceive information management can enlighten areas that require interventions to improve information management processes in the health facilities. The purpose is to assess health workers' perceptions toward PMTCT program information management and factors affecting information management in the health facilities.MethodsThe study was conducted in five out of forty-three health facilities providing PMTCT services in Lilongwe district and thirty out of sixty-eight health workers were recruited across the study sites. Purposive and convenience sampling were used. Semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to collect demographic information and health workers' perceptions toward information management, respectively. Thematic and content analysis techniques were employed for qualitative data, while descriptive statistics were used for quantitative data.ResultsMost health workers perceived information management tasks as part of their job description, but less important to provision of clinical services. For many, use of information technology tools was viewed as beneficial and valuable, whereas the paper-based system was perceived as tedious and difficult to manage. In addition, some believed lack of feedback, information sharing, and poor attitude toward information management tasks were challenges.ConclusionBased on the study findings, there is need to find ways of motivating data quality improvement practises in the health facilities, as health workers view this as a tangential, non-essential part of their job. Health facility leadership needs to promote an information culture through enforcement of meetings, supervision and provision of feedback. The government and its partners should continue rolling out and enhancing competence of health workers on EMR in the health facilities whilst also addressing challenges mentioned in the study.

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The use of Information and Communication Technology and digital technologies in farm management plays a vital role in achieving strategic development goals of countries. Digital labour has helped enormously to boost access to large amounts of information, connecting people from remote communities, particularly young people whose innovative potential combined with the power of technology proves to be a force to achieve sustainable development goals. This research aims at determining the effectiveness of digital technology in agriculture through providing site-specific information and employing digital labour to implement precision farming in Malawi. The research objective focused on using rapid 4-in-1 soil tester, testing moisture, acidity, or alkalinity through power of Hydrogen (pH) measure, temperature, and fertility as well as Extension Helper Application, a portal used by extension coordinators to share farm information. The is desk research with qualitative study and slight quantitative figures from digital 4-in-1 rapid soil tester with students utilising study farm plots at Natural Resources College. Analysis derived valuable capabilities such as quick determination of farm specific information. Research found that with digital tools and digital labour, it was easy to see and manage field data, oversee worker productivity, manage resources, view farmer data trends and support decision making. Further, mobile digital tools were found to amplify extension massaging to reach more farmers and enable management to improve coordination of diverse service providers with the right type of data aggregation. Digital tools reduced the use of had written reports during field visits. Quality of collected data improved and frequency of field visits for the extension coordinator as well increased. This research was mainly drawn from action research as well as systematic review of both internal and external desk research. Action research and internal review was based on student plots at Malawi’s Natural Resources college and external desk review was based on SANE project with Extension Helper Application. Generally, the findings showed that the use of information and communication technology and digital technology with digital labour support decision making to form policies towards realising Malawi vision 2063.

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