Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A total of 500 bodies were donated to Flemish universities for sciences in 2024. KU Leuven led body donations in 2024 with 161 donations, up 17 from 2023. The University of Antwerp saw an increase to 116 donations, while Ghent University remained stable at 128. UHasselt and VUB reported 26 and 63 donations.
KU Leuven has become the top place for body donations for medical and scientific research. In 2024, they received 161 donations, 17 more than in 2023. According to researchers, people are helping to improve healthcare and education by donating their bodies.
The University of Antwerp is also witnessing a surge in donations. In 2022, it had 85 donations, then it rose to 97 in 2023 and 116 in 2024. According to Peter De Meyer, who is the spokesperson for the University of Antwerp,
“They are hard-pressed to find out why donations are surging even though they see the trend. Although the donations have increased, the university is still trying to balance the number of donations they receive with the needs of their medical faculties.”
“In 2022 we received 85 bodies, in 2023 97, in 2024 there were 116,”
Says Peter De Meyer
How are body donation trends shaping Flemish Universities?
Ghent University has kept a steady number of body donations. In 2024, they received 128 donations. This is about the same as in the past years. Officials at the university say that the number usually stays around 100 each year.
Officials mentioned that sometimes, the university has to take a break for more donations. This is a normal step. It helps them manage the donations they already have. This is different from the big increases seen at KU Leuven and the University of Antwerp.
At UHasselt, the number of body donations stayed the same in 2024. They received 26 donations, which is similar to past years. However, more people are signing up to donate their bodies for medical and scientific use. Even with this rise in registrations, the university finds it hard to explain why this is happening.
Officials believe that more media attention about body donation might have made people more engaged. This growing interest in signing up could show a change in how the public is concerned about body donation.
“It seems to us that there is generally more attention for body donation in the media,”
Officials say.
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) also had stable donation numbers in 2024. They received 63 bodies, the same as in 2023. Professor of Anatomy Steven Provyn says that with this number of donations, the university can provide what its medical students need for their education.
Professor of Anatomy Steven Provyn also mentioned that having more donations would help with scientific research. While VUB’s donation numbers are steady, the university keeps saying it is important to have more donors to support research and education. Both UHasselt and VUB are managing steady but small numbers. They both focus on the need to raise public awareness and interest in body donation.
“With the number of donations we are now receiving, we can guarantee the operation for our students,”
says Professor of Anatomy Steven Provyn.
“But for scientific research, it can never hurt to get more donations,”
He says.
What are the steps and rules for donating body to science?
According to resources, when considering body donation to science after a person passes away, there are certain rules to follow. Generally, anyone who dies from natural causes can donate their body. This includes people who have medical devices, like hip replacements, or those who were very ill before, as long as their death was not due to an infectious disease.
Officials mentioned that individuals who died from infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, cannot be accepted for donation. This is because there are risks involved in handling these bodies for medical or scientific purposes.
According to officials, for anyone who wants to donate their body to science, it is important to clearly state their wishes in a will. This legal document should mention the desire to donate the body after death. It is also wise to contact the university or medical institution they wish to donate to ahead of time. This ensures that they understand the process and that arrangements are in place.
Many universities said that people should register themselves before their death to ensure they can handle the donation properly. They mentioned that having this agreement helps to avoid any issues when the person passes away.
