LONDON - The 'Welfare State' can be sustained globally - even in the rapidly ageing societies of low - and middle-income countries. Social protection should not be delayed until a country is rich, and should be a state obligation. These views came out of the Global Health Lab symposium entitled: "Is the welfare state sustainable with an ageing society?" hosted by Professor Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Dr Richard Horton, Editor of the Lancet. The experts presenting data to the meeting - Professor Athina Vlachantoni from Centre for Research on Ageing at Southampton University, Astrid Walker Bourne of HelpAge International and Professor Peter Lloyd-Sherlock from the School of International Development at the University of East Anglia - explained to Peter Goodwin why there is an urgent need to prioritise the welfare of older citizens.