Human Bodies Bequest Program: A Wake-Up Call to Tanzanian Medical Schools

Introduction. Studying anatomy through dissection of human cadavers requires a regular supply of human bodies. Tanzanian medical schools depend entirely on collecting unclaimed bodies in hospital mortuaries. This method is no longer reliable. This study aimed at evaluating sources and profile of cadavers in Tanzanian medical schools and addressing challenges and suggests appropriate lasting solutions. Methods. Seven spreadsheets were sent electronically to seven medical schools in Tanzania to capture data related to sources and profiles of cadavers received. Only 2 out of 7 responded timely. Results. 100% of all cadavers in Tanzanian medical schools are unclaimed bodies of black population. Female cadavers accounted for 0–20%. About 9 days elapse before embalmment of cadavers. Conclusion. It is the time to jump onto body bequest wagon. 1. Introduction Anatomy has been shown to be one of the core subjects for medical students, parallel to physiology and pharmacology [1]. Cadaver dissection is regarded to be the fundamental anatomy teaching and learning tools for medical student [2]. Few studies that have examined the sources of cadavers in Africa reported the unclaimed bodies to be the main source for cadaver in medical schools throughout the continent [3–7]. Also some of these studies reported that bequest body program has only been practiced in Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi, and South Africa; the rest of medical schools in Africa depend on unclaimed bodies [6]. None of such studies has been done in Tanzania. The source of cadavers in all medical schools in Tanzania is solely unclaimed bodies from hospital mortuaries. Rules 4–9 under section 128 of chapter 16 in Tanzania penal code of the laws governs and regulates the use of unclaimed bodies for biomedical studies, and that there is no law provision for whole body donation. The supply of bodies was adequate in the past when there was only one medical school in Tanzania that also enrolled few medical students. In the past two decades, Tanzania has witnessed an increase in number of medical schools from one to seven along with parallel massive expansion of students’ enrollments. These medical schools maintained cadaver dissection as a fundamental teaching tool in anatomy. This has profound implication on the availability and adequacy of human bodies to quench the exploded cadaver demand to all medical schools. Interestingly, the same source for cadaver’s procurement has been maintained, being unclaimed bodies from hospitals mortuaries. The effect has been noted, as there has always been shortage of required