| MIDDLE EAST/ASIA: Crunching the swine flu numbers |
 DUBAI, 18 November 2009 (IRIN Global) - More people have died from H1N1 influenza in Iran than in any of the 22 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Region, according to WHO’s 14 November update.
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PHILIPPINES: Funding shortfall brings health, food security risks, UN warns |  BANGKOK, 18 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - The UN has warned of serious health risks and food security problems over a lack of funding to assist the Philippines after the country was hit by three major storms and typhoons.
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GLOBAL: Food aid that gets you two for the price of one |  JOHANNESBURG, 18 November 2009 (IRIN Global) - Good quality food aid can save billions of dollars that would otherwise be spent on saving lives, says a major report from the World Bank, one of two new studies that uncover some unsettling facts about food aid and malnutrition.
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AFGHANISTAN: Schools to reopen for exams after H1N1 shutdown |  KABUL, 17 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - The government has decided to reopen all schools from 23 November to 12 December to allow 7.5 million schoolchildren across Afghanistan to take exams.
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AFGHANISTAN: Toilet tribulations |  KABUL, 16 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - For Kabul’s estimated population of 4-5 million there are only 35 public toilets, according to the municipal authorities.
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VIETNAM: Ethnic minorities lose out on maternal healthcare |  HANOI, 16 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - The birth rate in rapidly developing Vietnam has dropped in recent years while maternal health and antenatal standards have risen – albeit only for the dominant ethnic groups. Ethnic minorities mostly still give birth at home, without a healthcare worker or midwife, specialists say.
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In Brief: Stunting not as bad as expected in Occupied Palestinian Territories |  DUBAI, 13 November 2009 (IRIN Global) - An estimated 200 million children aged under five in the developing world suffer from stunted growth due to maternal and childhood undernutrition, according to a new UNICEF report.
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ASIA: Breastfeeding more crucial in emergencies |  BANGKOK, 13 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - A recent spate of natural disasters in Asia has further underscored the importance of breastfeeding during emergencies, with a need for additional policies to support this.
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AFGHANISTAN: Polio drive targets up to eight million |  KABUL, 12 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - The sixth and last polio immunization campaign in 2009 begins on 15 November across Afghanistan: Up to eight million under-five children are expected to receive the oral vaccine, according to the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
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LAOS: Scrap metal income courts UXO danger |  PHANOP, 12 November 2009 (IRIN Asia) - A close look at this river bank village on the Ho Chi Minh trail bordering Vietnam reveals details which belie its tranquility.
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