Denpasar, 29 gen. (AKI) – The tourist island of Bali is stepping up moves to combat AIDS and what some believe to be the source of its spread on the island - prostitution.

“The choice is to ignore the issue or to try and do something about it. I have chosen the second option," deputy-governor of the province, Alit Kesuma Kelakan, told Adnkronos International (AKI).

He claims to have been ostracised since he raised the problem of AIDs and prostitution in Bali.

“People preferred to ignore the whole thing and my decision has caused me more than a few difficulties," Kelakan added.

Kelakan said he had initially considered the idea of legalising prostitution on Bali - one of the most popular destinations for tourists from all over the world.

But the local community's opposition to legalising prostitution forced him to reconsider his plan and to focus on monitoring the main red light districts instead.

“We have opened clinics and are offering medical checks and help for those who have contracted the virus," he said.

“We have also begun to distribute condoms and are trying to teach prostitutes about the risks of sexually transmitted diseases."

“We are encouraging prostitutes to change jobs and to find religion," he added.

Unlike other parts of Indonesia, where brothels are legal, prostitution is illegal on the island. Despite this, there are well known red light districts on the island, most of which are in the main tourist spots.

A study carried out in Bali last year by the Kerti Praja Foundation found that there are at least 8,800 prostitutes with some 85,000 customers.

"Around 14 percent of prostitutes have already contracted the virus and few appreciate how important it is to have protected sex," foundation director Dewa Nyoman Wirawan told AKI.

“Bali is the area of Indonesia with the second highest AIDS infection rate after Papua. And yet the population continues to turn a blind eye,” Wirawan noted.