In an attempt to tackle the rising rate of HIV/AIDS among Bali’s sex workers and their clients, 36 doctors on the Indonesian island participated in a training session for public health centers and private clinics that treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs), The Jakarta Post reports.

According to the article, the rate of STIs among Bali’s sex workers rose from 3 percent in 2003 to 14 percent in 2008. Yahya Anshori, a program director at the Bali AIDS Commission (KPAD), attributed the increase to the facts that sex workers are highly mobile and that many public clinics and doctors are not able to sufficiently treat STIs.

“Through this training, we hope doctors can extend access [to] treatment,” Anshori said. “The earlier we treat those infected, the better we can defend ourselves from HIV.”

There are an estimated 8,000 sex workers in Bali.