Mississippi Declares Public Health Emergency Over Infant Mortality

Mississippi declared a public health emergency for the first time in recent history, sounding the alarm on the highest infant mortality rates the state has seen in more than a decade. Mississippi ranks last in the nation in infant mortality, with 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024 compared to the national rate of 5.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to American…