Unequal Economic Development and Sustainability Gaps: Cross-Continental Evidence and Strategic Lessons for Urban Health, Food Security, and Climate Resilience in Africa

Introduction: Africa faces interconnected challenges of slow economic development, environmental vulnerability, and persistent inequality.Although the continent emits low levels of carbon, it suffers disproportionately from climate impacts, which threaten health, agriculture, and food systems.Addressing these issues requires integrated strategies that link economic, environmental and social dimensions. Objectives i. To analyze economic development indices, environmental sustainability indicators, and inequality patterns acrossglobal regions, highlighting their future implications within the one health framework.ii.To synthesize strategic, cross-continental lessons that can inform and strengthen urban health systems, food security frameworks, and climate resilience strategies in Africa.Methodology: This study is based on secondary data obtained from globally recognized organizations such as the UNDP, World Bank, ILO, UNESCO, and others, covering the years 2021 to 2022.The data was standardized to ensure consistency in units and timeframes, allowing for meaningful cross-regional comparisons.Key indicators analyzed include the Human Development Index (HDI), life expectancy, education, gross national income (GNI), and environmental factors like carbon dioxide emissions and material footprint.Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were used to summarize the data, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed to assess regional disparities using F-ratios and significance levels.The analysis was conducted across six continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Oceania.Results: This study synthesizes strategic, cross-continental insights to inform urban health systems, food security frameworks, and climate resilience strategies in Africa.Findings reveal that Africa lags significantly behind other continents in key human development indicators, with the lowest Human Development Index (HDI = 0.553), life expectancy (62.79 years), and female Gross National Income (GNI = $3,426.96).The continent also records the highest maternal mortality rate (413.02deaths per 100,000 live births) and the lowest expected years of schooling (10.98 years), indicating weak urban health infrastructure and limited educational outcomes.Despite having one of the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita (1.11 tonnes), Africa faces disproportionately high environmental pressure (Planetary Pressure Adjustment Factor = 0.961) and scores lowest on the Environmental Sustainability Index (11.91).It also experiences substantial inequality in environmental burdens, with a negative Inequality-Adjusted Carbon Emission Index (-27.02) and Income Inequality-Adjusted Environmental Footprint Index and labour force participation rates (female = 53.48%,male = 68.42%)highlight persistent gender disparities across economic and development dimensions.Compared to continents like Europe (HDI = 0.880, life expectancy = 79.61years) and Asia (CO emissions = 6.80 tonnes per capita), Africa's position underscores the need for integrated, equity-driven strategies. Conclusions:The study concludes that Africa must strengthen community-based health systems, promote inclusive education and gender equity, and adopt sustainability-oriented urban planning.Cross-continental best practices show that aligning human development with climate resilience and gender inclusivity is essential for building sustainable African cities.