In most parts of the world including India, Africa and New Zealand, cadaveric dissection remains a constant and vital facet of human anatomy education (Cornwall et al., 2012, Kramer and Hutchinson, 2015, Rizzolo and Stewart, 2006, Rokade and Gaikawad, 2012, Romero-Reverón, 2017). Further to the benefits of cadaveric dissections for learning anatomy (Patel et al., 2015, Wilson et al., 2018), dissections contribute to the professional development of both undergraduate and postgraduate students (Flack and Nicholson, 2018, Goss et al., 2019, Kumar Ghosh and Kumar, 2019, Memon, 2018, Warner and Rizzolo, 2006) While other methods are used in anatomy teaching (e.g., interactive multimedia and other electronic resources), some students perceive that learning anatomy is almost impossible without cadaveric dissection (Azer and Eizenberg, 2007). This is supported by various studies which advocate for combining technological resources with anatomical dissection (Estai and Bunt, 2016, Ghosh, 2017). Dissection is beneficial as students can: experience a three-dimensional view of the human body; understand anatomical variations; develop skills in teamwork; and engage with humanistic aspects of life and mortality that they will encounter throughout their careers (Canby and Bush, 2010, Gunderman, 2008, Kramer and Hutchinson, 2015, Rizzolo and Stewart, 2006, Warner and Rizzolo, 2006, Wilson et al., 2018). Cadaveric dissection also provides opportunities for students to develop surgical skills and improve dexterity before commencing practice on living patients (Champney, 2019).

Given the centrality of cadavers for anatomy education, procurement processes are important (Rokade and Gaikawad, 2012). Historically, procedures for procuring human bodies for cadaveric dissection have varied greatly across the world (Biasutto et al., 2014, Habicht et al., 2018). Procurement practices can be complex, controversial, and shrouded in questionable ethical practices (Dittmar and Mitchell, 2016, Ghosh, 2015). Modern anatomy has evolved from a very dark period between the 16–19th century, where cadavers were sourced through nefarious means that included murder, grave robbing, and exploitation of the socially disadvantaged (Davidson, 2007, Ghosh, 2015, Halperin, 2007, Humphrey, 1973, Tward and Patterson, 2002) More recently, the ethics of procurement has prompted a shift towards the use of voluntarily donated bodies (Jones and Whitaker, 2012). This is reflected in the findings of a 2018 review of medical schools’ cadaver sources in 68 countries. Twenty-two countries exclusively used voluntarily donated bodies, 21 exclusively used unclaimed bodies, and 25 used both voluntarily donated and unclaimed bodies (Habicht et al., 2018). From this and other published reports, most developed countries (e.g., United States, United Kingdom, South Korea, Netherlands, and Japan) transitioned from using unclaimed to voluntarily donated bodies in their anatomy laboratories (Biasutto et al., 2014, Gangata et al., 2010, Habicht et al., 2018). Sourcing voluntarily donated bodies for European medical schools has been characterised by a willingness amongst the population to donate their bodies (Biasutto et al., 2014, Orsini et al., 2021). The situation is similar in some Asian countries (e.g., Korea and China), with body donation trends increasing over time (Park et al., 2011, Zhang and Ma, 2020). In contrast, many African countries, Brazil, and India, rely heavily on unclaimed bodies for anatomy education (Bhatia, 2015, Biasutto et al., 2014, da Rocha et al., 2013, Kramer, 2023). For example, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zambia, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Nigeria all exclusively use unclaimed bodies, including executed criminals in Nigeria (Anyanwu and Obikili, 2012, Gangata et al., 2010, Manyacka Ma Nyemb et al., 2014, Mazyala et al., 2014, Riederer, 2016). Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, and Zimbabwe predominantly use unclaimed bodies while Libya, an Islamic country, imports cadavers from India (Gangata et al., 2010, Habicht et al., 2018). To date, South Africa is the only African country where voluntary donations outnumber the procurement of unclaimed bodies (Kramer et al., 2019, Kramer and Hutchinson, 2015)

In 2012, the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists published recommendations and good practice guidelines for body donation (IFAA, 2014). One recommendation was that all bodies used in anatomy education should be ethically procured through voluntary donation, with donors providing written consent to bequeath their remains for educational or scientific use (Jones, 2016). Such consent processes respect donor autonomy and dignity in death (Winkelmann, 2016).

In Zimbabwe, the use of (voluntarily donated and unclaimed) bodies for anatomy education is governed by the Anatomical Donations and Post-Mortem Examinations Act Chapter 15.01 (Commenced 1 July 1978) (Government of Zimbabwe, 2017). To date, anatomy education is supported predominantly by unclaimed bodies from the black Zimbabwean population with few voluntary donors, mostly from the minority white Zimbabwean population (Gangata, 2015, Gangata et al., 2010). Despite the reliance on unclaimed bodies in Zimbabwe, supply is inconsistent leading to cadaver shortages in some medical schools. This challenge, coupled with the increase in medical and health science programs in Zimbabwe, means it is timely to examine how to improve voluntary body donation rates. To address this, the current study sought to understand contemporary and historical practices in acquiring cadavers for anatomy education in two Zimbabwean medical schools. Specifically, the study sought to address the following research questions:

What are the historical trends in procuring cadavers for use in two Zimbabwean medical schools?

What are the experiences of technical staff who are involved in cadaver procurement, embalmment, and disposal in two Zimbabwean medical schools?