The teaching and learning of human anatomy by dissection has existed for thousands of years. Over the centuries, evolving ethical considerations for the sourcing of human bodies for dissection have resulted in a transition from the use of unconsented individuals to that of body donors and the institution of body donation programmes around the world. However, major challenges on the African continent have resulted in the continued use of unconsented or unclaimed bodies and the ethical dilemma for African anatomy departments regarding their use. Some of the key difficulties in sourcing donor bodies which exist on the African continent emanate from religious, cultural, societal trust and other confounding factors. This manuscript explores the challenges and suggests ways in which some of these constraints may be overcome.

通过解剖进行人体解剖学的教学已经存在了数千年。几个世纪以来，用于解剖的人体采购的伦理考虑不断演变，导致从使用未经同意的个人转变为使用尸体捐赠者，并在世界各地建立了尸体捐赠计划。然而，非洲大陆面临的重大挑战导致继续使用未经同意或无人认领的尸体，并导致非洲解剖部门在使用尸体方面陷入道德困境。非洲大陆寻找捐助机构的一些关键困难源于宗教、文化、社会信任和其他混杂因素。本手稿探讨了这些挑战，并提出了克服其中一些限制的方法。