MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Infant mortality rates were down for the first time in 100 years in Shelby County, but members of the health community warned it was still a serious problem.
At the Infant Mortality Reduction Initiative Summit at the University of Memphis, about 70 community leaders looked for ways to reduce child deaths.
Community leaders gave a standing ovation as they heard the latest numbers showing Shelby County was making progress when it comes to infant mortality rates.
“The rolling average for three years is 9.8, but the infant mortality rate for 2013, the last date that we have available, the precise confirmed data was 9.2 per 1,000 live births and that is a record for Shelby County,” said Yvonne Madlock with the Shelby County Health Department.
Madlock said although the numbers were down, there`s still a lot of work to do and a lot of challenges ahead.
“We still have tremendous rates of disparity. It does not affect populations equally, and we want to talk about that and talk about some of the solutions that are there for us to address that issue of disparity,” she said.
“It takes so long to try to establish what the causes may be, we still have so much difficulty in actually in ascertaining exactly what the causes of infant mortality are in Shelby County,” said Memphis Mayor A C Wharton.
Those with the health department told WREG they can’t address this problem by themselves.
It would take a community effort, something they said was already making a difference.
“It’s a comprehensive type effort. It’s not really doctors and nurses, it’s churches, it’s insurance companies, it’s higher education and that’s what it takes. I think we’re really establishing the model plan here in Memphis and Shelby County, TN,” said Mayor Wharton.