The World Health Organisation (WHO) should be quickly overhauled, get more powers to handle pandemics and expose its member states' shortfalls in health emergencies, European Union officials have said, according to a Reuters report.

The comments were made at a video conference of EU health ministers that endorsed an EU document on the reform of the United Nations agency which for the first time outlines a series of sweeping changes needed to boost WHO's powers and resources.

“The current pandemic challenges us very acutely [...] but it is very important that the (WHO) reform debate is held in parallel,” German Health Minister Jens Spahn told a news conference.