Geospatial Information systems for modeling accessibility to service points in Zimbabwe with reference to health provision centers

Objectives: Understanding geographical accessibility to services is important for informed decision making and policy formulation pertaining to infrastructural development and sustainable disaster management. The aim of this study was to develop an interactive travel time tool that can be used to model accessibility to any destination in Zimbabwe. Setting: We modelled physical accessibility to the health facility network in Zimbabwe using time as a metric measure. The research takes into consideration the various factors that influence the speed of traversing the landscape across different landcover types and terrain-conditions. Modelling was done using SAGA GIS and High Speed Computing. Results: This research was applied specifically on health service centres as destinations, and the model output revealed how certain areas with rugged terrain or dense vegetation and impassable streams can cause a set of villages to be “cut off” from apparently close health facilities as the bird flies. Conclusions: The study successfully demonstrates the application of GIS in accessibility modelling and reflects opportunities for integrating accessibility modelling with service provision and infrastructural planning.