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 declared a public emergency last week in response to the state’s growing infant mortality rate. The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 9.7 infant deaths per 1,

Mississippi health officials have declared a state of emergency over the rate of infant mortality in the state.