**1. Introduction**

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) include a collection of chronic, disabling, and physically disfiguring infectious diseases that usually affect dwellers of poor rural populations in tropical and sub-tropical countries of the world [1]. Apart from their negative impact on the health of victims, NTDs exert an immense socio-economic burden on the society as a result of the social stigma and physical disabilities associated with them. These interrelated negative outcomes perpetuate a cycle of poverty and unproductivity resulting in a consistent decline in economic growth [2]. As a major element of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), much effort is being put in for the elimination of the NTDs [3].

Among the NTDs, helminth infections especially soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STHs) and schistosomiasis are among the most prevalent afflictions of humans [4]. About 2 billion people are estimated to suffer from helminth infections worldwide, out of whom 300 million suffer from severe morbidity [5]. The negative impact of helminth infections on human growth and development (including cognitive development in childhood and nutritional status), pregnancy and work performance cannot be overemphasized. Though considered as acute health problems in some developed parts of the world, chronic parasitic infections are common and recurrent in poor communities and usually result in long-lasting complications making them a significant health threat to the populations who are continuously at risk for infection [6].

Over the years, many highly effective chemotherapeutic agents have been developed for treating helminth infections. Unfortunately in the setting of rural poverty where these diseases are mostly prevalent, access to healthcare facilities and the cost of medications are a challenge [7, 8]. Additionally, environmental factors and unavoidable domestic or occupational exposures, strongly favor the process of re-infection even after a successful therapy [9, 10]. Given that these infections also require lengthy treatment regimens with related costs which cannot be afforded by the affected victims, many patients seek for alternative treatment options especially the use of herbal medicines which are readily available and less expensive [9, 11].

Herbal extracts have been used in traditional medicines since ancient times for the effective treatment of human diseases [12]. Ethnobotanical studies in various regions of the world have documented medicinal plants used for the treatment of various parasitic infections. Scientific investigations of selected plants have also revealed remarkable activity of medicinal plants against specific human parasites [13, 14]. In Ghana, numerous medicinal plants play an important role in the healthcare system of rural communities. The Ghanaian flora provides a ready source for new therapeutic interventions for the local population [15–17]. This chapter provides a review with special focus on medicinal plants collected from Ghana with anthelmintic and anti-schistosomal activity.
