The notion of “global health” will be discussed, and an overview of the global burden of disease will be presented as background to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (sustainable development goals [SDGs]). The SDG health targets will then be presented. The potential role of basic radiological services in the achievement of these targets will be analyzed in the context of current challenges confronting global radiological services. It will be argued that global access to basic imaging such as X-rays and ultrasound is integral to achieving universal health coverage and the SDG health targets. Finally, the concept of global radiology will be introduced and proposals made for future research and collaboration in this domain.