Despite being a growing trend across Canada, the use of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in the NWT has remained low, according to the Department of Health and Social Services.

Medical practitioners in the NWT have been allowed to provide MAID since 2016. Since then, there have been a total of 26 deaths by MAID in the territory. That number is split evenly between male and female applicants. Eight of the 26 deaths represent Indigenous applicants. Another eight represent non-Indigenous applicants and 10 people did not have their ethnicity specified. 

The GNWT Department of Health and Social Services would not comment on why MAID is so relatively rare in the NWT. In an email to SA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½ that included these figures, the department did note that it does not have access to information on the income level of people who use MAID. However, it does note the most common age range for provisions are between 61 to 80 years old.

According to Umesh Sutendra, a communications official for the department, MAID can happen anywhere the practitioner and patient decide is appropriate.

"This includes hospitals, private homes, long-term care facilities and other suitable settings. The location depends on what works best for the patientSA¹ú¼ÊÓ°ÊÓ´«Ã½™s needs and circumstances," Sutendra stated.

According to the most recent figures from Statistics Canada, there were more than 13,000 MAID cases in Canada in 2022. That's about a 3,000-person spike from the year before.

Statistics Canada reports that demand for MAID has been steadily climbing since the program came into existence. Between 2020 to 2022, each year has seen an increase of more than 2,500 cases nationwide: 2020 had 7,446 cases; 2021 had 10,029 cases; while 2022 had 13,102 cases.

To date, more than 44,000 people have died from MAID in Canada, according to Statistics Canada. 

Most of the time, when someone applies for MAID, they get it. In 2022, there were 16,104 written requests for MAID, with a little more than 13,000 people having their request approved;. MAID has about an 80 per cent approval rate.

In the NWT, Health and Social Services noted that all provinces and territories are required to ensure they provide low-barrier access to this service. However, Health Minister Lesa Semmler said in an email that MAID must not be promoted, as it would constitute abetting or counselling suicide, an offence under the Criminal Code.

"If a patient chooses to make a request for medical assistance in dying, the patient must do so voluntarily and free from any external pressure," said Semmler.

To be eligible for MAID, an applicant must be an adult and capable of making decisions with respect to their health, eligible for NWT health services and have a medical condition, such as an illness, disease or disability. They must also be in an advanced state of decline that cannot be reversed and be in constant, unbearable suffering, according to Health and Social Services.

In March 2023, Health and Social Services established a new position with the title of MAID nurse navigator, according to the department's annual report.

"This role provides essential expert support within the system and to residents who are considering or accessing MAID as an end-of-life care option," the report reads.

Part of the MAID nurse navigator's job includes giving presentations to practitioners and providing information about the processes and requirements for the provision of MAID.

As it stands, chronic diseases contribute to 70 per cent of deaths in the NWT, with cancer and heart disease being the top two, accounting for almost half of all deaths.