The State Department of Health on Thursday declared a public health emergency in response to a rising infant mortality rate in the state – most of which is occurring

Health officials in Mississippi have declared a public emergency over the state’s rising infant mortality rate, which is the highest it’s been in a decade. Data from 2024 show that for every 1,000 infant births in the state, there were 9.7 deaths within the first year of life—up from 8.9 in 2023.

Mississippi health officials have declared a public health emergency after new data revealed a spike in infant deaths, causing the highest infant mortality rate in the state in over a decade.