EU ready to take leading role in WHO reform - Germany's Spahn

The European Union (EU) is ready to take "a leading role" in strengthening the World Health Organization, which requires predictable financing, Germany's health minister Jens Spahn told the U.N. agency's ministerial meeting on Monday.

Spahn said that the COVID-19 pandemic was a "game changer", revealing that no country had been adequately prepared. "We also welcome recent progress regarding the WHO-convened study of the origins of the virus and call for full transparency and cooperation during all of its phases," he added.