China's southernmost province of Hainan has officially registered 318 HIV carriers, but the real number is expected to exceed 2,300, according to a HIV/AIDS conference held in Haikou on Monday.

Among the registered HIV carriers, 27 were AIDS patients, statistics released at the Hainan work conference on HIV/AIDS prevention and control showed.

Since the first HIV carrier was registered in 1999, the province has experienced the period of virus spreading and now entered the stage of possible outbreak of the fatal disease with its south-western areas badly affected by the epidemic.

The province has earmarked 8.1 million yuan (US$1 million) in 2005 for consultation, supervision, treatment and public education of HIV/AIDS, said Bai Zhiqin, deputy director with the provincial health department.

However, more fund is needed to accomplish the task and problems still remain in training professional and sufficient medical staff, media publicity and the range of public participation, the official pointed out.