The state has moved from 54th to 49th in America’s Health Rankings, which were released Tuesday. At a press conference at the State Capitol in Jackson, State Health Officer, Dr. Daniel Edney, said this shows the state is moving in the right direction in public health.
“Every notch of improvement that we're able to demonstrate means more lives saved, more Mississippians living healthier and happier,” Edney said.
The Mississippi State Department of Health also released its own public health report card on Tuesday. The report highlights areas of improvement, like continued decreases in opioid deaths and the number of people contracting diseases like HIV and tuberculosis. It also acknowledges that high rates of preventable deaths from chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes are dragging down overall life expectancy in the state.
Over 195,000 years of life were lost by Mississippians before they reached age 75 due to preventable deaths in 2024, according to the report. Edney says a major driver of these deaths is the lack of healthcare access that prevents people from getting the care that catches these conditions early.
“We need every Mississippians to have access to primary care, medical homes, not just access to hospitals, although that’s critically important,” Edney said. “They need access to physicians and health care providers as outpatients for preventive health, for screenings.”
The data shows Mississippi also continues to lead the nation in firearm deaths and that the number of deaths outpaced births in the state last year.
Vaccination rates in Mississippi are both an area of pride and concern for health leaders. The state ranks third in the nation in vaccination rates among school-aged children, but has fallen below the national average in vaccinations for two-year-olds.
Dr. Jennifer Bryan, President of the Mississippi State Medical Association says she understands the fear and skepticism people feel about vaccination following the events of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that family doctors are here to help people navigate those concerns.
“Talk to the people you trust, because we do know what we're talking about when we tell you that these vaccines are important and that there are repercussions coming if we get lax on it,” Bryan said.
A decline in maternal mortality has moved Mississippi from 50th to 45th in state rankings for that indicator. The state still has the highest-in-the-nation rate of infant mortality, but that is trending downwards as well.
