"In 2019, a child born in Japan will live to the age of 84, whereas a child born in Sierra Leone will only live until the age of 54.1 Similar disparities exist between rich and poor communities within countries.2 These differences in life expectancy are not caused by genetics, biology, or culture. Health inequities are caused by poverty, racism, a lack of medical care, and other social forces that influence health. A critical analysis of the historical roots of this gross and systemic inequality and of the political economy that continues inequality is a fundamental part of the study of global health"--