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December 6, 2012 Last spring, the Nigerian government pledged millions of dollars to decontaminate a region where hundreds of kids have died from severe lead poisoning. So far, none of the money has been released. The delay in the cleanup puts thousands of kids at risk of getting sick, public health advocates say.

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November 8, 2012 Despite intensified efforts to vaccinate kids in Nigeria, polio cases are on the rise there. It's one of the last places in the world where polio is endemic. Most cases are popping up in a few communities that are now the prime targets for public health workers.

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October 19, 2012 Thanks to vigorous efforts to eradicate the poliovirus through vaccination, there are only three countries on the face of the earth where polio is still endemic. NPR reporters and editors hosted a chat on Twitter: #chasingpolio.

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October 17, 2012 Northern Nigeria is the only region in the world where the number of polio cases is on the rise. International groups have poured money and volunteers into the area to combat the disease. But vaccinators face daunting challenges — from security threats like terrorist bombings to a lack of basic resources like electricity.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

October 6, 2012 During the financial crisis, gold prices hit record highs as people looked for somewhere safe to park their money. In West Africa, that's had a devastating, deadly effect on children.

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On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

October 4, 2012 NPR's global health correspondent Jason Beaubien just returned from a remote region of northern Nigeria, where he was reporting on the tragic lead poisoning of thousands of children. Beaubien chatted yesterday on Twitter about this crisis and his reporting from this rural corner of Nigeria.

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October 3, 2012 In northern Nigeria, some miners use crude methods to extract raw gold ore — a practice fueled by rising gold prices. But the gold here is embedded in lead, and the dust kicked up by this dirty and illegal mining has killed hundreds of children and sickened thousands more. Experts say this may be the worst case of lead poisoning in recent history.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

September 30, 2012 Gold ore mined in northern Nigeria is mixed with lead. When the ore is dug up, crushed and processed, the lead escapes into the air and settles on the ground. Children are being poisoned when they swallow lead-contaminated dust and dirt.

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June 22, 2012 A new paper suggests it's actually a brilliant strategy designed to save time and maximize profit.

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June 5, 2012 Among the more than 150 fatalities were a couple from Connecticut and their four small children. They were going to a wedding. So were the sisters from Texas.

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June 4, 2012 All of those on board — more than 150 — were killed when the Dana Air jet crashed into a Lagos neighborhood. It's feared there were other fatalities on the ground. Nigeria has had four crashes in the past decade that killed more than 100 people.

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March 15, 2012 Nigerian leaders may be opening indirect talks with the leadership of Boko Haram, the Islamic group that has attacked government buildings, schools and churches.

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January 26, 2012 Nigerian authorities arrested about 160 Chadians on charges they were involved in the bombing and gun attacks in Kano last week that killed scores of people.

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January 26, 2012 In the first hour of Talk of the Nation, the ongoing crises in Nigeria, and the author of A Practical Wedding. In the second hour, multigenerational households, and author Walter Mosley talks about his new book, All I Did Was Shoot My Man.

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