CNN – The Mississippi health department declared a public health emergency Thursday over rising infant mortality rates in the state.
There were 9.7 deaths for every 1,000 births in Mississippi in 2024, the highest rate in more than a decade, according to a news release from the state health department. More than 3,500 babies in Mississippi have died before the age of 1 since 2014.
“Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short. We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality. Declaring this a public health emergency is more than a policy decision; it is an urgent commitment to save lives,” State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said in the release.
An emergency declaration creates certain opportunities for mobilizing resources to address an issue.
The state health department’s strategy includes activating a standardized system for maternal and infant care, eliminating maternity care deserts, expanding access to resources for mothers and babies through community health worker programs and home visits, and education on safe sleep practices.
“Improving maternal health is the best way to reduce infant mortality,” Edney said.
“That means better access to prenatal and postpartum care, stronger community support and more resources for moms and babies. Healthy women of childbearing age are more likely to have healthy pregnancies, which in turn lead to healthier babies.”
About a third of US counties do not have a single obstetric clinician, according to a report released last year by the infant and maternal health nonprofit March of Dimes.
In Mississippi, nearly half of all counties are considered maternity care deserts, according to the organization.
“The Mississippi Department of Health’s declaration of a public health emergency in response to infant mortality is a painful reminder of the maternal and infant health crisis facing our nation,” Cindy Rahman, March of Dimes’ president and CEO, said …
