Sourcing and utilization of bodies of the deceased for medical education and research: An examination of West African universities

Bodies of the deceased are important for training healthcare professionals in anatomy education, research, and clinical skills. While body donation programs exist in many countries around the world, few exist in Africa, likely due to strong religious convictions of the public, socioeconomic factors, and other difficulties. Consequently, many African anatomy programs rely on unclaimed and unidentified bodies, many of which are abandoned in hospitals or mortuaries. This study investigated the different sources of bodies of the deceased and their use in education in West Africa. Fifty-seven institutions in 15 West-African countries were contacted. Of these, 27 institutions (48.2% response rate) from 11 countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal) responded. Information around body management and utilization for public engagement, high school tours, imaging, and research was also explored. Only two institutions in Ghana had body donation programs. Sixty-three percent of bodies were from unclaimed and unidentified sources, with 69% of unclaimed bodies coming from health facilities. The bodies of executed persons were used for anatomical purposes only in Nigeria. Given the reliance on unclaimed bodies, these findings highlight the need for efforts to build body donation programs. Efforts to identify deceased persons through outreach services should be pursued, alongside legislation permitting their use. Engaging religious, cultural, and social leaders is essential to improve awareness of body donation. This study presents the first attempt to capture a comprehensive set of data on body procurement in anatomy from several nations in West Africa.