ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Nations said Friday over 80 million Africans may die from AIDS by 2025.

    In its report "AIDS in Africa," the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said HIV infections could rise to 90 million, or more than 10 percent of Africa's population, if more isn't done soon to fight the pandemic.

    UNAIDS said more than 25 million Africans have already been infected with HIV, the virus that leads to AIDS, adding that about200 billion US dollars is needed to save 16 million people from death and 43 million people from becoming infected.

    The UN agency said there would be three potential scenarios forAfrica in the next 20 years depending on the international community's contribution to the fight against the disease.

    The three scenarios include a best-case situation, a middle-case and a doomsday scenario.

    UNAIDS said the pandemic has already had a devastating impact on Africa and that life expectancy in Africa's nine countries has dropped to below 40 as a result of the disease.

    There are 11 million orphans, while 6,500 people are dying eachday. In 2004, 3.1 million people were newly infected, it said. Enditem