LUSAKA, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Thursday held talks and pledged to work together to strengthen health systems.

Minister of Health Chitalu Chilufya and Global Fund Executive Director Peter Sands held the talks on the sidelines of the World Health General Assembly in Geneva, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Health.

During the talks, the Zambian minister outlined the vision the country has to eliminate malaria, attain epidemic control of HIV and TB with the support of the Global Fund, according to the statement.

He further reiterated the mutually beneficial relationship that has existed between Zambia and the Global Fund and the need to continue with health systems strengthening in the southern African nation.

On his part, the head of the Global Fund hailed Zambia's efforts in enhancing leadership and accountability and assured of the confidence the Fund has in the Ministry of Health to deliver results.

He said the Global Fund fully backs the strides the health ministry was making in ensuring a robust and accountable financing and medicines supply chain system.

A Global Fund audit report released recently revealed that drugs and HIV test kits were stolen from the Medical Stores, a government agency responsible for procurement and storage of drugs, between 2014 and 2016 and sold to other entities.

The report, entitled "Investigations of Global Fund Grants to the Republic of Zambia: Theft of Health Products from Medical Stores Limited" identified significant unexplained stock loss of Global Fund-financed pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical health products totaling over 1 million U.S. dollars.

The Global Fund has since asked for the refund of the money to which the government has obliged.