The global #healthstandards campaign will bring together different stakeholders in the standardization community, including ISO’s members, to talk about the significance of International Standards for health. It will run from 4 to 8 April 2016.
Why we need #healthstandards
Caring for ourselves and our loved ones requires standards to be in place. They give us confidence that medical equipment, laboratory testing and evaluations are reliable, that our patient data is safe and so much more.
The campaign will look at the wide scope of health standards and how they can help set up an environment that ensures the best possible conditions for healthcare professionals to do their job. It also focuses on standards that contribute to our health and well-being, helping us meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aspires to “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages”.
During the week, ISO and its members and partners will share videos, infographics and articles about health standards, and we invite everyone to join in the conversation with #healthstandards. There will also be a fun daily quiz: Can you guess the medical symbol? Learn more on our dedicated Website.
World Health Day
The campaign also coincides with World Health Day, organized every year on 7 April by the World Health Organization, which participates in many ISO committees developing health standards. In 2016 the event is dedicated to beating diabetes.
The figures are eloquent: 9 % of adults of 18 years and over suffered from diabetes in 2014 and the disease was responsible for over 1.5 million deaths in 2012. Managing the condition is a challenge. ISO contributes to this fight with ISO 15197, a standard on blood-glucose monitoring systems for the self-testing of diabetes mellitus. The standard is used by manufacturers as well as regulatory and conformity assessment bodies to make sure these self-testing tools are efficiently helping people to manage their disease.
