Pathology services in developing countries: a challenge.

T practice of pathology in the developing world— where the majority of the earth’s population lives— presents special challenges for the Western-trained physician accustomed to the high standard of living, long life expectancy, and predictable disease patterns that are prevalent in the developed world. This health care gap will inevitably widen even further as sophistication of technology in our pathology laboratories increases by leaps and bounds, our ability to fine-tune diagnoses is honed, and as medicine becomes more personalized, while many developing countries struggle to provide even the most basic pathology services. This has inspired many pathologists and health professionals to attempt to bridge the gap. Several important such initiatives exist in the United States and Canada, as well as in many other developed countries. However, the situation on the ground is frequently complex, and such efforts may encounter challenges that cover the spectrum from the educational and cultural, to the economic and political. This may be especially daunting for pathologists who are highly trained to perform specialized and sophisticated analyses on problems that relate to the individual patient, to particular diseases, or to pathobiologic phenomena. Our training prepares us less well to deal with societal issues such as those that face the developing world. These challenges are not unique to pathologists or indeed to physicians. The developed world has long struggled with both the practical and the theoretical aspects of aid, and great efforts have been made in this regard. It is estimated that $2.3 trillion has been spent on various aid