BRUSSELS, Oct 30, 2020, SPA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) should be quickly overhauled, get more powers to handle pandemics and expose its member states' shortfalls in health emergencies, European Union officials said on Friday. The comments were made at a video conference of EU health ministers that endorsed an EU document on the reform of the U.N. agency which for the first time outlines a series of sweeping changes needed to boost WHO's powers and resources, as exclusively reported by Reuters in September. "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. He did not say when the reform process should begin, but stressed that as a result of the overhaul the WHO should become faster in its reaction to health crises, while its member states should share more information in emergencies. --SPA 18:48 LOCAL TIME 15:48 GMT 0013 www.spa.gov.sa/w1438934