ABSTRACT
The term sanitation refers to adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage, and provide clean drinking water. The aim of sanitary system is protecting human health by providing safe and clean environment. It helps to prevent transmission of diseases which are spreading through faecal-oral route. Sanitary workers are protecting the society from diseases such as diarrhoea, ascariasis, cholera, hepatitis, poliomyelitis, schistosomiasis and trachoma with their effective services.Sanitary services are given by the sanitary workers for the betterment of human health. Sanitary workers are doing the work such as sweeping streets, collecting waste from house to house and streets, latrine or pit cleaning, cleaning school toilets, public toilets, toilets of municipalities, government and private offices, operating waste collecting trucks, management of faecal sludge, desludging the septic tank, cleaning sewer, cleaning manholes, cleaning sewage treatment plants and handling waste water and sludge at sewage treatment plants.Sanitary workers are the key persons responsible for cleanliness of the country. At the same time, they are facing many challenges such as (i) issues related to their health and safety: cuts, injuries, musculoskeletal problems, respiratory problems, gastro intestinal problems and infectious diseases like gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, typhoid fever and tetanus.; (ii) legal and institutional issues: poor enforcement of law, lack of standard operating procedures, poor legal protection and workers safety which is influenced by the availability of equipment and materials used for doing the work and also by customers and employers; (iii) insecurity in financial status and social issues; social stigma like intergenerational discrimination.Sanitary workers are not concentrating on their own health and nutritional status due to lake of awareness. There is a need to enrich the knowledge of workers regarding prevention of health problems, protection from health issues and promotion of their health. The employer has to ensure that workers have undergone training before placement in the job and also, they must be provided with proper guidelines. Workers must get adequate facilities in the working area. Sanitary workers must be provided with personal protective equipment and insisted to use it properly. Regular medical check-up, vaccination and follow up are very important to protect the sanitary workers.
ABSTRACT
To study the immunomodulatory activity of saline extracts of leaves of Aloe vera Linn. (Family: Liliaceae) on the albino mice. The saline extract of leaves of Aloe vera was administered orally according to their body weight in mice. The assessment of immunomodulatory activity on specific and nonspecific immunity was studied by administration of test extract. The method of pyrogallol induced immunosupression was employed with slight modification to study the immunomodulatory potential of the extract. Humoral antibody response to SRBC measurement of antibody titer by haemagglutination reaction was done and cellular immune response (Foot pad reaction test) the edema was induced in the right paw of mice by injecting SRBC (0.025x109 cells) in the sub planar region. Pyrogallol-induced suppression of humoral as well as cell mediated immune response was significantly attenuated by daily oral treatment with saline extract of Aloe vera. Vitamin E treated group exhibited similar attenuation of the suppression in immune responses. Aloe vera extract at the dose of 100 mg/kg was found to suppress delayed type hypersensitivity reaction induced by SRBCs in mice. As evidenced by marked increase in haemagglutination titers in mice was also observed. The study demonstrates that A. vera triggers both specific and non-specific responses to a greater extent. The study comprised the acute toxicity and preliminary phytochemical screening of A. vera. From the results obtained and phytochemical studies the immunostimulant effect of Aloe vera could be attributed to the alkaloids content.