Diversity of Body Donations and Willed Donor Applications in a Newly Established Medical Faculty in Sri Lanka

Objective: Body donations to the medical faculties in Sri Lanka play a critical role in medical education and research. The success of body donation programs depends on the diversity of donors. Assessing donor diversity is crucial to meeting the educational needs of students and researchers. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the demographic profiles and diversity of donors and willed donors registered at a newly established Faculty of Medicine (FOM), Wayamba University of Sri Lanka (WUSL) located in Kuliyapitiya, Northwestern Province (NWP).Methods: A retrospective analysis of the body donation registry and willed donor applications received to the Department of Anatomy, FOM, WUSL from the year 2019 to 2024 was conducted.Results: A total of 35 adult body donations, one foetal body donation, and 183 complete willed donor applications were received. The highest number of body donations (38.88%, n=14) and willed donor applications (n=117,63.93%) have been received in the year 2023. Based on this study, the typical donor was likely to be a 52-year-old, Sinhalese male lived in NWP. The typical willing donor was likely to be a Sinhalese, female living in the NWP.Conclusion: Although a good number of body donations and applications have been received, a lack of ethnic diversity in the donations was observed despite the population-based ethnic diversity of the country and the NWP.