The Standards & Regulation Division was established in March 1999 as a result of Health Reform in the Ministry of Health. The role and functions of the Division are regulatory, legislative and administrative and are executed through four departments of which it is comprised.

These are:

• Standards and Regulation - Administration
• Standards Research & Development
• Investigation & Enforcement
• Pharmaceutical & Regulatory Affairs

An Advisory Panel Mechanism consisting of three Advisory Panels was created within the new framework in 2000, the purpose being to provide a collaborative network supporting the Division in the development of systems and programmes, to advance the quality of healthcare and provide inputs for health policy formulation. The Panels are:

• Professional Affairs

• Complementary/Alternative Medicine
• Ethics and Medico-Legal Affairs

Over time it is apparent that a broadened mandate for the Standards Division as a ‘watchdog’ for the effective functioning of health systems and programmes in conformity with established standards, norms and guidelines than initially conceptualized has emerged.