Canada and Northwest Territories renew seven-year health agreement

Canada and the Northwest Territories renewed their Working Together health agreement, committing $51.2 million over seven years to improve access to care. The territorial action plan covers primary-care coordination, workforce recruitment and retention, cultural-safety training, mental-health and substance-use services, and community-led wellness and suicide-prevention programs.

The governments also announced more than $70.2 million federally and $23.4 million territorially for 16 health-facility projects in 12 communities. The release describes those facility investments separately from the seven-year agreement. Under the previous agreement, the territory reported a 29% reduction in health-staff vacancies and funding for 10 Indigenous governments and organizations for suicide-prevention work.