WASHINGTON (Sept. 4, 2025)--The Mississippi Department of Health declared a public health emergency due to rising infant mortality rate, according to news reports.
Infant mortality rose to 9.7 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to the state’s health department, the highest it has been in over a decade.
Other states, like California and New Jersey, also are launching initiatives to address maternal and infant mortality but Mississippi has the highest infant death rate in the nation, according to data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention.
The George Washington University has experts available to comment on all aspects of this issue. To schedule an interview with an expert please reach out to Kathy Fackelmann, kfackelmann
gwu [dot] edu (kfackelmann[at]gwu[dot]edu) or Katelyn Deckelbaum, katelyn [dot] deckelbaumgwu [dot] edu (katelyn[dot]deckelbaum[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Amita N. Vyas, is an associate professor at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health and Director for the MPH Maternal and Child Health program and the GW Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health. She can talk about the causes of infant mortality and solutions aimed at keeping mothers and infants healthy.
Caitlin Murphy is a research scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is an expert in maternal and child health, women’s health, reproductive health and disparities in health among vulnerable populations.
Linda Cassar, clinical associate professor at the GW School of Nursing, has worked primarily with the maternal/child health patient population over her 30 years as a nurse, working in labor and delivery, mother/baby, high-risk antepartum, and outpatient community perinatal education.