May 20 marks World Metrology Day, the anniversary of the signing of the 1875 Meter Convention. This agreement provides the basis for a globally coherent measurement system that supports scientific discovery and innovation, industrial production and international trade, as well as improving the quality of life and protecting the global environment.
World Metrology Day 2021 comes at a time when the world is focused on a quick and efficient recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, so it is quite expected that the theme of World Metrology Day 2021 will be Measurement for Health. This topic was chosen to create awareness of the important role of measurement in health, and thus the benefits for each of us, and the importance and role of the metrological community at the global and local level was recognized due to the established technical possibilities to confirm the quality of measurement and thus improving health.
The speed and seriousness with which the virus affected people around the world in early 2020 forced governments to respond quickly. From the very beginning, new measurement requirements emerged, starting with the need for large-scale tests for the presence of viruses and the performance of personal protective equipment. Thereafter, vaccine development depended on the precise identification and measurement of complex protein and RNA molecules. The huge scope of these demands has changed national priorities globally. Governments have refocused on established scientific capabilities to meet the challenge of protecting their populations from the effects of the virus.
The metrology community around the world has been involved in these new national and global challenges and has used its established experience in measurement science to meet national needs
Worldwide, national metrology institutes are continuously advancing measurement science by developing and validating new measurement techniques at the required level of sophistication. National metrology institutes participate in measurement comparisons coordinated by the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) to ensure the reliability of measurement results worldwide.
The International Organization for Legal Metrology (OIML) is developing international recommendations aimed at harmonizing and harmonizing requirements worldwide in many fields. OIML also manages the OIML Certification System (OIML-CS) which facilitates international recognition and global trade in regulated measuring instruments.
These international metrology systems provide the necessary assurance and reliability that the measurements are accurate, providing a sound basis for today’s global trade and helping us prepare for the challenges of tomorrow.
World Metrology Day recognizes and celebrates the contribution of all people working in intergovernmental and national metrology organizations and institutes throughout the year.
At the following link, you can also watch videos on selected measurement for health topics.
© 2020 Institute of metrology of Bosnia and Herzegovina