The Sub-Saharan Pathology Resident Teaching Programme is a virtual educational series supporting pathology residents across Sub-Saharan Africa and the Global South. The programme is led by College member Professor Richard Byers, and co-badged with the Royal College of Pathologists. It is also supported by Diagnexia, a digital pathology company that connects labs and hospitals with subspecialist pathologists to increase capacity. The sessions focus on case-based, interactive teaching tailored to regional diagnostic challenges, although the topics covered are often of general relevance to pathologists regardless of where they are based.  

Professor Richard Byers is a Consultant Haematopathologist at Manchester University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, as well as Professor of Pathology at the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester. Alongside his clinical work and teaching, Professor Byers is Chief Medical Officer at Spotlight Pathology Ltd, a University of Manchester spin out that develops AI tools to support digital pathology diagnosis of lymphoma and leukaemia. 

On top of this impressive array of clinical work, teaching and research, Professor Byers delivers this teaching programme every Wednesday at 1pm GMT (2pm BST in UK summer hours). The sessions alternate weekly, with 1 week dedicated to haematopathology, and the other covering anatomical pathology subspecialties such as pancreatic, head and neck, cytology and more. 

This format provides a consistent, collaborative learning environment aimed at strengthening diagnostic skills and fostering regional connections. The sessions are recorded, with the playbacks available to attendees and on YouTube after the session. All sessions are accessible via this link, so please do save the link and join if you are interested.  

To gain further insight into this teaching series and how it may benefit other members’ pathology practice, we interviewed Professor Byers about how the programme came about, its value for pathologists and its impact on pathology practice within Sub-Saharan Africa.  

Can you tell us a bit about your background? What drew you to pathology, and haematopathology in particular? 

I have always had a scientific mind and was interested in pathology as a medical student. I distinctly remember reading it in my second year and thinking it was the most fascinating subject I’d come across. After training in medicine and then pathology, followed by a PhD in bone biology, the opportunity arose to contribute to the haematopathology service for Central Manchester. I have now been immersed in it for nearly 30 years. Haematopathology is constantly at the forefront of pathology, both clinically and scientifically, with a direct and fast-paced connection to patient care and outcomes. 

We’d love to hear more about the Sub-Saharan Pathology Resident Teaching Programme. What is this programme, and how did it come about? 

Dr Ken Fleming, a liver pathologist in Oxford (and the College’s first Clinical Director of International Activities), realised the shortage of pathologists in Sub-Saharan Africa, and helped institute a training programme in pathology in Zambia in the early 2000s, supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the Tropical Health and Education Trust. Prior to this, Zambia had just 2 pathologists for the whole country, and turnaround times were over 6 months, with no effective service for patients. As a result of this programme and its subsequent incorporation into the Zambia Ministry of Health, there are now over 20 pathologists in the country. 

I was involved in teaching on the programme in 2015 and remained connected with it thereafter as an external examiner. Now Zambia can train its own pathologists, although there remains a need for specialist teaching. Therefore, with support from the British Division of the International Academy of Pathology (BDIAP) and African Strategies for Advancing Pathology (ASAP), Ken and I set up an online teaching programme, which I now run with support, pro bono, from Diagnexia. Initially, I undertook 4 in-person visits to both the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia, and the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, and I have subsequently delivered online teaching weekly for over 2 years now. 

Who is the programme aimed at, and why is it needed? What value does it bring to attendees? 

The programme is aimed at senior residents and consultants, but is open to all pathologists. Starting in Zambia and Kenya, it has now expanded across all of Sub-Saharan Africa, and most recently to Asia. It is also available for any other countries that wish to join. The lectures are recorded, sent out to attendees after the event and available on YouTube thereafter. It brings high-quality, free, clinically focused teaching each week, and there is probably no other programme as frequent and widespread across the globe. 

How do you feel this programme is shaping the way pathology is taught and practised in Sub-Saharan Africa? 

The programme is developing a connected and dispersed online community of learners and teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. The online nature maximises involvement, enabling high-frequency teaching with a continuity and consolidation of learning that wasn’t possible with previous in-person teaching programmes. It rapidly disseminates advances and best practice to the region, thereby improving practice and supporting development of services in the area. 

How do you see the programme contributing to the future of pathology practice in this region (and perhaps further afield)? 

In Sub-Saharan Africa, pathology services are few and widely dispersed, often with just one pathologist working alone in a centre. There is usually poor or no access to molecular and other tests, including immunohistochemistry, and diagnosis often relies on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and cytology. Online connection between pathologists for second opinions and for learning is particularly important in this environment and is now possible with the development of better mobile services in the region. 

Digital pathology will become increasingly important for the provision of high-quality services. AI will enable more to be done with H&E images, especially where molecular and immunohistochemical testing is not possible owing to infrastructure and cost. As such, the teaching programme will support development in this direction, with potential lasting effects on pathology provision in the region. 

What excites you most about the programme? 

I’m very excited and honoured to have had the opportunity to contribute to the development of pathology in under-resourced countries, and therefore to global health improvement. It is fascinating to interact with pathologists in other countries who are facing diverse challenges, and to help develop innovative solutions. It has been very interesting to learn myself from other subspecialties as part of the teaching and to help build a community of teachers. I’d always wanted to teach pathology in Africa, I just didn’t think I’d be doing it online from Central Manchester, but that is the modern world. 

Can College members get involved in contributing to the programme? 

College members can help by disseminating the link to any of their colleagues abroad who they feel would benefit from the teaching. You can contact Ava at Diagnexia to be added to the mailing list. 

We have programmed speakers to the end of July 2026 so far, but always need new speakers and topics. I’d be delighted for any offers from College members for talks, both in the UK and abroad, so please contact me directly if you are able to teach on this programme. It is a great opportunity to contribute to pathology teaching and community building in Sub-Saharan Africa and further afield, and I look forward to continuing this programme with the help of the College and its members. 

Contacts and links 

For offers to teach, please contact Professor Byers at  at [email protected] 

To be added to the email list, please contact Ava at [email protected] 

To access the weekly teaching, please follow this link. 

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We hope that you enjoyed this interview, and please do attend or get involved in the Sub-Saharan Pathology Resident Teaching Programme if it is of interest to you.  

The College has developed a number of webinar series to support members in their professional development. Please take a look at our ‘Member resources’ page to find out more about these, alongside the many other resources that we provide.  

Please note that RCPath does not endorse any products or services of the companies mentioned as part of this blog. 

If you have an idea for a blog, or a story that you would like to share with our pathology community, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch at [email protected].