Hepatitis SA staff were saddened to hear of the passing of Dr William Donohue. Not all of us have met him personally, but we were all aware of his significant contributions to the hepatitis- and HIV-affected communities. He typified the energy and commitment of the early days of the hepatitis C community movement—commitment he carried through his career.
Hepatitis SA was fortunate to have Dr William Donohue work as a Rural Educator back in 2000 and 2001 when we were the Hepatitis C Council SA. He took to the role with passion, running group and individual education sessions and developing support groups.
He had a particular interest in promoting hepatitis C awareness in prisons and Indigenous communities, travelling extensively during this period to rural and remote locations. He carried out activities with prisoners, prison health staff and officers, and worked closely with the Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council to raise awareness about hepatitis C-related issues.
Colleagues from those days recall that William had the knack of making complex medical information accessible for people, something extremely valuable at a time of high stigma and discrimination for people living with hepatic C.
In 2001, William went on to work with the ‘C-Clearly’ program in the Health and Human Diversity Unit of the Department of General Practice, at Adelaide University. The program focused on supporting people to maintain and improve their health and wellbeing as well improve prevention support to people at risk.
The Commonwealth-funded program aimed to reduce hepatitis C transmission in South Australia, provide holistic services (including dietitians and psychologists) to people living with or at risk of hepatitis C, and increase the pool of health workers with the knowledge and skills to care for people living with or at risk of hepatitis C.
In later years, William was known as the key driver behind the O’Brien Street Practice, which works in partnership with SA Health to provide comprehensive primary health care with a focus on HIV and sexual health. The O’Brien Street Practice is well known as a friendly, supportive GP clinic in Adelaide. To Hepatitis SA workers, it was always that open, friendly clinic where the hep-friendly GP, William Donohue, worked, and to whom we could safely refer clients.
Although William was with Hepatitis C Council SA for only 18 months, his impact lasted far beyond that. To many, he was not only a colleague but a treasured friend. Everyone who knew him remembers William as someone with a lovely smile, a great sense of humour and a laugh which they will always recall.
William Donohue will be greatly missed.
Last updated 26 February 2025
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