A brief account of the history of research into forest diseases in East Africa is given, with some detail on investigations into disease at present established in the exotic softwood crop. The results of this work have been used in the avoidance of disease losses in future plantations. At present losses from disease are small, but will only remain so if the strictest quarantine is maintained on imported conifer material. Quarantine measures and the avoidance of potential disease loss in the crop is hampered at present by an imperfect knowledge of the diseases to which the exotic conifer crop in East Africa is prone. It is suggested that this situation would be improved, both for East Africa and other Commonwealth territories with common interests, by the establishment of a central authority for information on disease matters, and that steps be taken wherever possible to augment this information.