(NewsNation) — Health officials in Mississippi have declared a public health emergency after reporting the state's highest infant death rate in more than a decade.

In 2024, the infant death rate in the state rose to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births, which is more than 60% higher than the national average reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since 2014, there have been 3,527 babies that died in Mississippi before their first birthday.

"Every single infant loss represents a family devastated, a community impacted and a future cut short," State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said in a news release. "We cannot and will not accept these numbers as our reality."

State health officials said the emergency declaration allows them to direct more resources toward improving mat

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