Every year, the United Nations' Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) publishes a report that comments on various aspects of the region's social well-being. To do this, they rely on a number of researchers with experience in the area who look at poverty trends and income distribution, with a keen eye towards trends in social spending and how the respective states in the region can address the population's welfare. This 64-page report was released at the end of 2009, and it includes a brief summary and six chapters. The chapter titles include "Poverty and inequality in the context of the economic crisis" and "Public policies and the care crisis: alternatives and initiatives". The report is well-written, and persons with an interest in international relations, public health, and social policy will find the report very useful.