Rapid ACT-Accelerator Delta Response (RADAR) urgent appeal

Overview

The Delta variant is on the path to becoming the dominant strain worldwide as a surge in the highly transmissible variant increases the urgency for vaccinating large numbers of vulnerable people .

Rising infection rates resulting in increased hospitalizations are overwhelming health systems and leaving many countries in urgent need of life-saving oxygen 

Testing rates in much of the world is too low, especially low- and lower-middle-income countries – leaving much of the world blind to how the disease is evolving and vulnerable to new variants 

With hard-won gains of the last three months at risk, the ACT-Accelerator has mounted a US$ 7.7 billion appeal, the Rapid ACT-Accelerator Delta Response (RADAR), to enable:  

• Significantly increased testing and better surveillance to detect and protect against new variants;
• More oxygen to treat the seriously ill and save lives; 
• Vital personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect health workers; 
• The rolling out of emergency response and delivery support for the effective delivery and deployment of COVID-19 tools, including in humanitarian contexts;
• Continued research and development (R&D) so that tools remain effective 

The US$ 7.7 billion is not an additional funding need but is part of the ACT-Accelerator’s overall 2021 budget, which is needed urgently within the next four months.