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Salem resident Katrina Maclean was accused of buying and selling human remains stolen from the Harvard Medical School morgue.

The agreement settles lawsuits filed by relatives of people whose remains, donated for medical research and teaching, were stolen and sold by the former manager of the school’s medical morgue.

In the U.S., the trade of human body parts for medical research and training has grown into a multi-million-dollar industry, despite being only loosely regulated. While some see body donation as…

"The right of a living person to decide on the fate of her body remains a part of her posthumous bodily integrity"

YouTube video by Lauren the Mortician

THE University of Namibia (Unam) has recorded its highest number of body donation pledges in just four months – a first since its School of Medicine was established. This was confirmed by Unam School of Medicine’s Simon Namesho, who says from February to May 2025, four Namibians pledged to donate their bodies to Unam’s division of anatomy for scientific and educational purposes. He says this number is particularly significant considering that between 2010 and the end of 2024, a span of 14 years, only 11 Namibians registered as body donors. “Following extensive media coverage and public discussions early in 2025, interest surged dramatically. In a span of only four months, between February and May, an additional four Namibians officially pledged their bodies, bringing the total to 15,” Namesho says. He says nearly 30 additional people have contacted the university for more information or to request donor forms. According to Unam, the four new pledges represent more than a quarter of all body donation commitments received since the programme’s inception, marking a turning point in national attitudes. Namesho told The Namibian that historically, the university relied heavily on imported cadavers mainly from South Africa to support its medical training, adding that these imports are not only expensive but logistically complicated. Namesho says local donations, by contrast, reduce costs, simplify transport and preservation processes, and foster a deeper sense of national ownership in the country’s healthcare system. “This level of growth in such a short time is unprecedented,” says senior anatomy lecturer Anneli Poolman. According to her, each pledge is an invaluable contribution to the training of Namibia’s future doctors. “It shows that people are beginning to understand just how essential body donation is to medical education,” she says. Faculty of health sciences executive dean and veterinary medicine professor Judith Hall says Namibians donating their bodies to science is a powerful act of patriotism. “It symbolises the public’s trust and commitment to improving medical education and healthcare outcomes for the country,” Hall says. Associate dean of the School of Medicine Dr Felicia Christians says the change in public attitude is encouraging and long overdue. “This shows that Namibians are becoming more open-minded and willing to support the advancement of medical research and training. It’s a brave and selfless decision that directly benefits our doctors-in-training,” she says. Unam continues to urge individuals considering body donation to have open discussions with their families as this remains critical. Previously, The Namibian reported on traditional and religious leaders saying they do not support the call by Unam for Namibians to donate their bodies for medical research. It is a taboo, they said. Both traditional leaders and clerics say donating bodies contradicts deeply rooted cultural beliefs about death, burial and the afterlife. Ovaherero traditional official Tjizapouzeu Uahupirapi says body donations could interfere with a deceased person’s transition to becoming an ancestor. “When people die, they become ancestors. Not burying them and donating them to the Unam School of Medicine would, I guess, stop them from becoming ancestors or from fulfilling their duties after death,” he says. The post Unam sees unprecedented surge in body donation pledges appeared first on The Namibian.

UNAM sees rise in body donation pledges for medical training NBC Online Wed, 06/11/2025 - 14:46

[Namibian] Traditional and religious leaders say they do not support the call by the University of Namibia (Unam) for Namibians to donate their bodies for medical research.

Traditional and religious leaders say they do not support the call by the University of Namibia (Unam) for Namibians to donate their bodies for medical research. It is a taboo, they say. Both traditional leaders and clerics say donating bodies contradicts deeply rooted cultural beliefs about death, burial and the afterlife. Unam says 11 individuals have pledged to donate their bodies for medical research and teaching purposes. Ovaherero traditional official Tjizapouzeu Uahupirapi says body donations could interfere with a deceased person’s transition to becoming an ancestor. “When people die, they become ancestors. Not burying them and donating them to the Unam School of Medicine would, I guess, stop them from becoming ancestors or from fulfilling their duties after death,” he says. He was speaking to The Namibian in an interview on Tuesday afternoon. Uahupirapi also questioned why modern alternatives are not being considered for training medical students. “The world has moved on technologically. Why don’t they get those modified dolls that students can cut open and perform their operations on?” he asked. Oukwanyama Traditional Authority chairperson Andrew Naikaku shares similar concerns. “A dead person is a dead person, and you are to do away with that person respectfully. We don’t have anything like that in our tradition. That’s why we don’t support something like that,” Naikaku says. According to Mbunza Traditional Authority leader Hompa Kaundu, the body donations contradict traditional norms and beliefs. “It is very difficult in our traditional norms to accept that, it is taboo,” Kaundu says. He adds that family members who agree to donate a corpse will be called to the traditional court, because that is equivalent to murder. “It is a sin in traditional norms. It will impact the traditional custom negatively,” says Kaundu. He says children and people will not fear death nor respect the traditional beliefs and practices surrounding death. RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVE Speaking to The Namibian, Alliance of Christian Churches in Namibia executive chairperson Dolly Nengushe says the church acknowledges the sacredness of the human body but also supports the spirit of compassion behind body donations. “From a biblical standpoint, the human body is indeed sacred, as it is described in 1 Corinthians 6:19 as the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’. However, scripture also teaches that our eternal destiny is not determined by what happens to our physical body after death,” she says. Nengushe says donating one’s body to medical science can be seen as an act of service aligned with biblical teachings about loving one’s neighbour and helping others. “To families and individuals considering body donation, I would advise careful reflection, prayer and open discussions within their families and church communities. It is not inherently sinful to donate one’s body for medical purposes, provided it is done with dignity, respect and in accordance with both family and legal consent,” she says. However, spokesperson for the Islamic Centre in Windhoek, Imaam Abdulbah Haroon, told The Namibian that body donation is not permissible in Islam due to the sacred status of the human body after death. “It’s not permissible for a Muslim to donate his or her body for medical purposes after death because medical research often involves cutting and examining the body. “In Islam, once a person dies, the body is protected under Islamic law. It is not permissible to transgress against it in any way whether by wounding, dissection or otherwise unless there is a legitimate reason under Shariah law. “If a woman dies while pregnant and the fetus is still alive, then it becomes mandatory for doctors to try to save the life of the unborn child. This is permissible because the intention is to preserve life. If we are sure that the fetus is already dead, then such a procedure is not allowed,” Haroon says. The post Traditional leaders reject Unam body donation call as taboo appeared first on The Namibian.