In sub-Saharan Africa there is an extreme shortage of pathology services and, when
provided, they are of unacceptable standard. Specimen handling and storage are very poor, and
render this important aspect of medicinal practice rudimentary. The situation on the ground
reflects the full spectrum of the educational, cultural, political, and economical challenges
that must be confronted in building basic scientific capabilities in the life sciences, including
medicine, in such countries. It is a difficult and often discouraging situation, however, several
constructive initiatives have been promoted to address this problem. In this paper we describe the
current state of pathology services in sub-Saharan Africa, documenting our experience in Sudan.
We also report some of the results obtained by others and our future goals, and propose how
pathology-related problems could be addressed in sub-Saharan Africa, by focusing on specific
critical points, which may also be considered for other developing countries outside Africa