Statement on Mississippi’s Public Health Emergency Declaration Over Rising Infant Mortality

The Mississippi Department of Health’s declaration of a public health emergency due to Mississippi’s rising infant mortality rate is both heartbreaking and a call to urgent action. For years, I and many others have raised alarms about these devastating disparities in maternal and infant health. 

We have made progress. The Mississippi Department of Health, under the leadership of Dr. Daniel Edney, recently created OB System Care, which I’m confident will help to reduce the high maternal and infant mortality rate. In the Legislature, we extended postpartum care to 12 months, adopted presumptive eligibility, enacted paid parental leave for state employees, and established community health worker certification. These bipartisan reforms show what is possible when leadership is willing to act. But progress is not enough without continued collaboration with agency administrators and the sustained political will to pass critical policy reforms.

During the 2025 legislative session, I introduced House Bill 718 and House Bill 1342 to directly address some of the leading causes of poor maternal and infant outcomes:

• House Bill 718 would have expanded access to opioid use disorder treatment for pregnant women by requiring substance use disorder facilities to provide onsite access to at least one FDA-approved opioid agonist treatment, a measure supported by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.. With opioid-related deaths continuing to plague our state, immediate access to treatment is essential for protecting both mothers and babies.

• House Bill 1342 would have required continuing medical education in cultural competence and implicit bias for physicians in general practice, pediatrics, obstetrics, and gynecology. Research - including findings from the Mississippi Maternal Mortality Review Committee - confirms that racial bias in medical care contributes to higher mortality rates among Black mothers and infants. This bill was designed to save lives by ensuring physicians are trained to recognize and address disparities in care.

Unfortunately, both bills failed to make it out of committee. Their failure underscores the urgent need for stronger advocacy and leadership from every corner of our state. I intend to reintroduce these bills as well as explore additional measures that address this crisis.

If Mississippi is truly serious about reversing this crisis, then we must also expand Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid would enable more women—particularly low-income and marginalized women—to access prenatal care, postpartum support, and other vital maternal health services. Without it, too many mothers and babies will continue to fall through the cracks. 

Declaring a public health emergency is only the first step. Now, the Legislature must match that declaration with action. The lives of Mississippi’s mothers and infants depend on it.