Malawi is in the process of moving away from safety nets programming towards more longterm
predictable social protection programming that helps poor households deal with risk and
shocks through a more institutionalized and coordinated approach. There are significant
changes underway to transform the way that social protection i s designed, funded and
implemented in Malawi. Social protection i s on the agenda o f Government, donors and NGOs
in Malawi, and a National Social Protection Steering Committee and National Social
Protection Technical Committees has been established.
I n the period 2003-2006, including emergency aid and disaster response, the combined safety
netshocial protection system amounted to an average of more than USD 134 million per year.
There are, therefore, compelling reasons to ensure that the system for delivering social
protection i s efficient and effective.
This report provides a stocktake o f social protection in Malawi for the period 2003-2006, and,
in partnership with the development o f a Malawi Social Protection Framework, aims to help
Malawi move towards a long-term social protection policy and program. The report answers
two specific questions:
i) Do the range, goals and coverage of existing social protection interventions
(inventory) match up with the existing profile of poverty, risk and vulnerability?
ii) Do the current institutional and financing arrangements match up with the need
for institutionalized social protection in Malawi?
The work feeds into a final section on options for a more significant and coherent national
social protection program. For the purposes o f this report social protection i s defined as
comprising:
The policies and actions that protect and promote the livelihoods and welfare of poor and
vulnerable people
I t i s recognized that social protection overlaps with social policy, economic policies, and
disaster reduction, and should not be considered as a stand alone policy.