The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) declared a public health emergency on infant mortality in the state.

They said the 2024 data shows the overall infant mortality rate has increased to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. This is the highest it has ever been in a decade, according to MSDH.

3,527 babies have died before they turned 1 since the year 2014.

“Too many Mississippi families are losing their babies before their first birthday,” said State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney. “This is deeply personal to me — not just as a physician, but as a father and grandfather. 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 t

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