With global warming and socioeconomic developments, there is a tendency toward the emergence and spread of mountain-type zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (MT-ZVL) in China. Timely identification of the transmission risk and spread of MT-ZVL is, therefore, of great significance for effectively interrupting the spread of MT-ZVL and eliminating the disease. In this study, 26 environmental variables—namely, climatic, geographical, and 2 socioeconomic indicators were collected from regions where MT-ZVL patients were detected during the period from 2019 to 2021, to create 10 ecological niche models. The performance of these ecological niche models was evaluated using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) and true skill statistic (TSS), and ensemble models were created to predict the transmission risk of MT-ZVL in China. All ten ecological niche models were effective at predicting the transmission risk of MT-ZVL in China, and there were significant differences in the mean AUC (H = 33.311, p < 0.05) and TSS values among these ten models (H = 26.344, p < 0.05). The random forest, maximum entropy, generalized boosted, and multivariate adaptive regression splines showed high performance at predicting the transmission risk of MT-ZVL (AUC > 0.95, TSS > 0.85). Ensemble models predicted a transmission risk of MT-ZVL in the provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, Gansu, Sichuan, and Hebei, which was centered in Shanxi Province and presented high spatial clustering characteristics. Multiple ensemble ecological niche models created based on climatic and environmental variables are effective at predicting the transmission risk of MT-ZVL in China. This risk is centered in Shanxi Province and tends towards gradual radiation dispersion to surrounding regions. Our results provide insights into MT-ZVL surveillance in regions at high risk of MT-ZVL.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of diseases associated with poverty that affect over 1 billion people worldwide (1). On May 31, 2021, the World Health Assembly (WHA) officially recognized January 30 as World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day through decision WHA74(18). This designation aims to raise awareness about the severe impact of NTDs on disadvantaged populations and to mobilize support for control, elimination, and eradication efforts. The theme for World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2024 is "Unite, Act, Eliminate." In November 2020, the 73rd World Health Assembly endorsed the report "Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: a road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030" (2). This comprehensive report establishes global targets and milestones for the prevention, control, elimination, or eradication of 20 diseases and disease groups, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Three primary pillars will guide global efforts in achieving these targets: 1) accelerating programmatic action, 2) intensifying cross-cutting approaches, and 3) promoting country ownership through changes in operating models and culture. The roadmap sets the elimination of schistosomiasis, visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and soiltransmitted helminthiases (STHs) as public health problems and outlines control measures for echinococcosis, foodborne trematodiases, and taeniasis/cysticercosis in China. In this paper, we review the progress and accomplishments in the control of major parasitic diseases in China over the past decade and analyze the ongoing challenges in achieving the elimination targets outlined in the World Health Organization (WHO) roadmap. We discuss the latest advancements, obstacles, and key tasks in the control of major parasitic diseases in China, aiming to provide insights into the realization of the targets outlined in the WHO roadmap for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030 and the Outline of the Healthy China 2030 Plan.