Mississippi

At a Glance

State Population: 2,940,057
Local Health Departments: 86
Frequent Public Health Emergencies: Tornadoes, Flooding, Tropical Storms/Hurricanes
Key Emergency Operations Center Activations:
2020 – COVID-19 Pandemic
CDC PHEP Funding:
FY 2022: $6,601,489
FY 2021: $6,655,374
FY 2020: $6,936,267
Public Health Crisis Response Funding:
Mpox 2023 Funding: $347,540
COVID-19 2021 Funding: $18,406,348
COVID-19 2020 Funding: $5,874,996

PHEP-Funded Staff (rounded):

Epidemiologists: 2
Laboratorians: 7
Nurses: 12
Planners: 10
Other: 25*

*Includes IT specialists, administrative staff, statisticians, and other positions

Top 5 Preparedness Investments

Public Health Laboratory Testing
Public Health Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation
Emergency Operations Coordination
Medical Countermeasure Dispensing and Administration
Community Preparedness

Stories from the Field

Responding to Severe Adverse Reactions to Synthetic Cannabinoid

When severe adverse reactions to the use of synthetic cannabinoids increased dramatically in just two months, a PHEP-funded epidemiologist worked closely with an investigative team and healthcare providers to investigate. They developed an advanced surveillance system to track reports of these adverse reactions, which included symptoms such as lethargy, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. As a result, the Mississippi Poison Control Center and emergency departments across the state were able to identify associated deaths, finding the outbreak’s source and preventing additional adverse reactions.

PHEP Helps Mississippi Serve the Emergency Medical Needs of Hurricane Irma Victims

In Mississippi, PHEP supports planning, training, and exercising for staff to effectively coordinate and manage an emergency response. When Hurricane Irma hit Florida as a Category 4 storm in 2017, Mississippi stood ready to help, and sent PHEP-funded and trained staff to Florida to support the response. After the storm destroyed the only hospital in the Middle Keys, staff members from Mississippi, along with staff from North Carolina, created a mobile hospital to serve the area’s residents. For more than nine months, this was the only hospital for 100 miles, serving the emergency medical needs of affected residents until the original structure was rebuilt.