JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi health leaders gathered Wednesday to confront the state’s ongoing infant mortality crisis, one of the most pressing public health challenges facing the state.
Mississippi has consistently recorded one of the highest infant mortality rates in the nation. While the issue is longstanding, officials at the meeting stressed the urgent need to accelerate action and expand access to care.
Mississippi Declares Public Health Emergency on Infant Mortality
State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney announced a public health emergency to fast-track programs designed to improve perinatal and infant care statewide.
“The OB systems care that we’ve been working on for the last 18 months is at a point that we’re ready to move quickly, and a public health emergency helps us do that,” said Edney. “This will be our state’s fourth statewide system of care. Mississippi will be the only state in the country with four systems of care and the only one taking a comprehensive approach to perinatal mortality issues.”
The emergency declaration allows state leaders to mobilize resources and implement new strategies more rapidly to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Focusing on Solutions and Expanding Access
Dr. Edney emphasized that while Mississippi leads the nation in infant deaths, the state also aims to lead in finding solutions.
“This is Mississippi leading the way when we are leading the country in infant deaths. But we’re also leading the country in solutions,” Edney said. “The OB system of care is a critically important piece of the puzzle, but expanding access to care is just as vital.”
State health officials say the initiative will strengthen care coordination, enhance hospital readiness, and expand prenatal and postnatal services across Mississippi.
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