Over the past decade the global uptake of ultrasound technology and innovations to bring ultrasound closer to the people have increased substantially, offering a significant potential to improve maternal and new born health. To leverage its full potential, safeguard quality and protect the reproductive rights of of women, it is imperative to critically examine and address the broader and hidden implications of ultrasound implementation.

This perspective paper describes common challenges that may lead to implementation failure or the rights paradox of medical technologies, where people and societies demand and should have the right of access to new technologies, but at the same time their rights may be violated if, in providing access, their personal, societal and health system contexts are not appropriately considered.