MAPUTO, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis on Thursday allocated 515 million U.S. dollars to support Mozambique's combat against the three infectious diseases, the leading cause of deaths in the southern African country.

"HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria remain responsible for high morbidity and mortality in the country," Mozambique's health minister, Nazira Abdula, told the official launching of the triennial program.

According to the minister, with this grant, the number of new HIV/AIDS infections is expected to be reduced from the current 3.6 to 2.4 per thousand people by 2020. The rate of HIV infection in newborn babies will also decline.

In the fight against tuberculosis, it is expected to reduce the incidence of cases from 551 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2015 to 423 and contribute to reducing the mortality rate from 120 to 63 in 100,000 inhabitants, he said.

In 2017, about 15 million mosquito nets were distributed throughout the Mozambique, and the antiretroviral treatment was made available to a total of 1,320 health units.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the global fund is a partnership organization founded in 2002 to provide support to countries fighting AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria as epidemics.

In Mozambique, 13.2 percent of people aged 15-49 are living with HIV/AIDS.