This Wednesday ( 18 November ) will be the second International Pathology Day and I’m looking forward to taking part in the London conference celebrating the vital role of pathologists in global health.



All members who may have read any of my posts might appreciate the influence of pathology on almost every aspect of health - and the need for those medically qualified pathologists, scientists, and other laboratory professionals to keep up to date.



International Pathology Day is supported around the world - from Europe to Africa, Australasia, America and Asia ; including Hong Kong and Malaysia, but not ( so far ) Philippines. There IS a Philippine Society of Pathology which sets high standards and has 600 members. The UK Royal College of Pathologists has about 9,500 UK members and 2,500 overseas members.



What does all this matter to Forum members and the general public ? Hopefully no-one on the Forum will now think that if they or their loved ones are ill, " test results " come back from the " path lab " showing " cancer ", " infection ", " all clear " or any other answer, without knowing that the " tests " require highly skilled interpretation ! Your own doctor also has to interpret and act on the results depending on all the knowledge he/she has about you and your health.



The myth that pathology is only about " chopping up bodies " and investigating suspicious deaths should also be understood ! This is a vital part of pathology, but only a small number of pathologists actually perform post mortems ( including cases where there was uncertainty about illness(es) during life which might have affected treatment and could help future patients ).



Pathologists are involved with diagnosis of disorders affecting every organ of the body, from before birth to after death. The subspecialties of pathology are listed in post #1 in this thread. It has never been more important for pathologists around the world to exchange knowledge - from diagnosing and treating communicable diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB and Ebola, to advances in non-communicable diseases - like early diagnosis of heart attacks and strokes, and research into mental illnesses - like dementia.



I wish I could say all was well with the UK NHS, and Philippines health services - but NO country in the world comes out top with every aspect of their health systems.



Thankfully I still have the interest ( and, so far, good health ) to support younger colleagues and friends in pathology both in the UK and elsewhere, as well as Forum members. Wherever you live or intend to live, good health to you all .