Measuring access to schools and health facilities in Zimbabwe: A distance-based analysis of service islands

Geographic barriers to essential services remain invisible in conventional statistical reporting, yet they fundamentally determine whether millions of people can access healthcare and education. This study provides a replicable spatial accessibility framework for national statistical offices, using Zimbabwe as a case example. Integrating WorldPop 2020 population data, government facility records, and OpenStreetMap road networks, we calculate enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) scores for 1,654 health facilities, 5,618 primary schools and 2,249 secondary schools in 64 districts. Population-weighted results reveal 3.45 million people (23 %) live >5 km from the nearest health facility and 2.25 million (15 %) from a primary school. “Dual service deserts” clusters lacking both health and education access are identified via Local Moran’s I. Inequality metrics show health services display the highest Gini (0.47) versus primary schools (0.31). Compliance analysis finds only 20.9 % of health facilities meet a 5 km standard despite 81.9 % satisfying 30-minute travel times. Our open–source, hexagon-grid approach provides actionable insights for targeted infrastructure investment and continuous Sustainable Development Goals monitoring, translating statistical outputs into real-world service equity planning.