Health Record Rights Index · country brief · this country's data as of October 1, 2026
Who holds the health record in Malawi?
In 2026, Malawi scores 40 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record. It is tied for 97th of 198 countries and territories, and could rank anywhere from 71st to 120th allowing for scoring error, in the Weak band (25 to 44). Who holds the keys: doctors, hospitals and insurers. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026.
Doctors, hospitals and insurers decide. Its strongest right, compared with the typical country, is getting your full record (50 out of 100, against 40 to 45 for the typical country). The furthest behind is rules for AI in your care (25 out of 100, against 30 for the typical country).
Malawi's 2024 data law gives a 30-day right to a copy, but most patients still carry their record in a paper health passport.
Published · updated · this country's data as of October 1, 2026 · research tool, not legal advice
overall score · Weak band, 25 to 44
40/100
rank among 198 countries and territories; likely 71st to 120th, allowing for scoring error
In 2026, getting your full record scores 50 out of 100 in Malawi; the typical country scores 40 to 45. Section 19 of the Data Protection Act 2024 gives a right to a copy of your data in electronic form within 30 days, free where practicable. There is no patient portal, and most people hold their own record in a paper health passport. Source: Malawi Data Protection Authority, February 2, 2024, and the other sources below.
Who controls health records in Malawi?
In 2026, doctors, hospitals and insurers hold the keys to your health record in Malawi. Control over who sees it scores 30 out of 100 in Malawi; the typical country scores 30. Health data may be processed without consent for public health or the public interest, and the new shared record gives no sharing choice or access log. HIV status is the exception: providers need written consent to disclose it beyond the treating team, with narrow exceptions. Source: Malawi Data Protection Authority, February 2, 2024, and the other sources below.
How does Malawi compare?
In 2026, Malawi scores 40 out of 100, against 39 for the typical country. This brief compares it with Botswana (39 out of 100), Mauritius (41 out of 100) and Tanzania (41 out of 100). Source: the ranking of all 198 countries and territories.
Eight rights, compared with Botswana, Mauritius, Tanzania and the typical country
Scores out of 100, by right
Getting your full record20%
50
45 · 50 · 35
Control over who sees it20%
30
30 · 32 · 30
Privacy and security15%
50
58 · 55 · 48
One record across your care15%
40
28 · 30 · 48
Protection from sale and ads10%
42
48 · 45 · 45
Doctors see it when treating you10%
30
22 · 30 · 40
Your say over research use5%
49
49 · 49 · 46
Rules for AI in your care5%
25
40 · 28 · 58
Black dot: Malawi. Hollow dots: Botswana, Mauritius, Tanzania (scores out of 100 on the right, same order). Gray line: the typical country of all 198. Overall: Malawi 40 out of 100. Scores move in steps of about 5 points, so read a rank with its likely range.
What would Malawi need to change to score higher?
Malawi sits in Weak (25 to 44); Mixed starts at 45. Its two weakest rights, compared with the typical country and weighted by how much each counts, are protection from sale and ads (42 out of 100, against 45 for the typical country) and doctors see it when treating you (30 out of 100, against 33 to 34 for the typical country). Our scoring rules give more points for:
Protection from sale and ads: Clear limits on selling health data or using it for ads, covering apps and data brokers as well as doctors and hospitals.
Doctors see it when treating you: Doctors who treat you able to see your full record from other providers, with your consent and emergency rules in place.
Which laws give health record rights in Malawi?
Data Protection Act, 2024 (Act No. 3 of 2024): Health is sensitive data; 30-day right to a copy; 72-hour breach notice; MACRA is the regulator.
HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Management) Act, 2018 (Act No. 9 of 2018): HIV status confidential; disclosure needs written consent except treating providers, anonymous studies, court orders.
Pharmacy and Medicines Regulatory Authority Act, 2019 (Act No. 9 of 2019): Creates the regulator for medicines and medical devices; no AI or software rules found.
Doctors, waits and private care context, not part of the score
Doctors per 10,000
0.8 2024
Nurses and midwives per 10,000
5.8 2024
Private insurance + out-of-pocket
21.2% 2023
Record reaches private care?
unknown
Real cases
March 9, 2026 · Malawi24 Health minister ends group consultations that made patients share health details with strangers
In 2026, Malawi scored 40 out of 100 for how much say a person has over their own health record, tied for 97th of 198 countries and territories (could be 71st to 120th), in the Weak band. Who holds the keys: doctors, hospitals and insurers. Source: Health Record Rights Index, SuperTruth, this country's data as of October 1, 2026, https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/malawi/
The 15 sources for Malawi
Each source appears once, under the first right it supports. Titles are shown as our research agents recorded them, usually in the page's own language; text in square brackets is our machine translation. Links were checked on the date shown.
Getting your full record (3 sources)
“Data Protection Act, 2024 (Act No. 3 of 2024)”
Malawi Data Protection Authority (law or regulation) · Title in English
Dated February 2, 2024 · Link checked October 2, 2026 (opened)
Used for: Getting your full record; Control over who sees it; Privacy and security; Protection from sale and ads; Your say over research use; Rules for AI in your care
SuperTruth Inc. · 24 S. 24th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA · +1 215 918 4140 · supertruth.ai Something wrong? Tell us · Questions or a briefing: supertruth.ai/on-the-record#contact · Full index: healthrecordrights.com
OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (38 mostly high-income countries). DTI™: the Data Trust Index, which grades the evidence behind each score. SuperTruth makes it and publishes this index. Everything here comes from public information: laws, government and regulator pages, court decisions, published news, WHO, OECD and World Bank data. Full sources: https://healthrecordrights.com/brief/malawi/#sources. SuperTruth built this index and sells health data verification products; no one paid to be included. Research tool, not legal advice. Our scores and our own words are CC BY 4.0; quoted law and source titles stay with their owners.
