Chaco Area Reproductive Ecology Program

The C.A.R.E. Program explores the complex interaction between environmental variables (availability of resources, cultural practices, socioeconomic status) and fertility and health patterns in populations of northern Argentina.

Where

Indigenous (Toba and Wichí) and non-indigenous populations in the province of Formosa, Gran Chaco region of Argentina, in the border with Paraguay.

Researcher

Claudia R. Valeggia, University of Pennsylvania

Program Overview

The C.A.R.E. program has several long-term objectives:

• To study the impact of the drastic lifestyle changes that the indigenous populations are experiencing on their fertility.
• To investigate the effect of transculturation on the health status of Chacoan indigenous populations.
• To explore the influence of child rearing practices on infant and children’s growth and development.

Additional Sponsors

• National Geographic Society
• Leakey Foundation
• Wenner-Gren Foundation
• Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania
• Population Aging Research Center, University of Pennsylvania