Prime Minister Stephen Harper is co-chairing a summit on accountability in maternal and child health in Geneva. (Nazia Parvez/Associated Press)

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government is "deeply concerned" about allegations of corruption at a major international aid fund.

The scandal comes on the eve of a UN summit designed to make countries and organizations more accountable for their aid dollars.

Harper will co-chair the summit on accountability in maternal and child health in Geneva Wednesday.

A recent internal audit at the Geneva-based Global Fund found $34 million had been misused. That figure includes money that went to Mali, a key recipient of Canadian aid.

In September, Canada announced it would add $540 million to the fund to fight malaria, TB and HIV-AIDS — three leading causes of maternal and child deaths.

Harper made the announcement at a UN summit in New York.

A spokesman travelling with the prime minister said the government is "deeply concerned" about the audit's findings.

Andrew MacDougall said the meeting this week in Geneva is designed to help prevent misappropriation of aid funding.

"In Geneva, the commission meeting will help us come up with a stronger accountability framework to get better measurements so we can have stronger reporting on the outcomes," he said.

"And [that will] ultimately give Canadians more confidence that the money they're sending through their tax dollars, through the government, to people around the world to help for things like malaria or HIV or child maternal health, will actually get the intended results."

Harper will make opening remarks at the summit Wednesday morning with his fellow co-chair, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.