Table 1.

Key themes around ventilation knowledge and challenges among Liberian healthcare workers (N = 21).

Theme	Main findings	Key quotes
Knowledge about ventilation	Ventilation protects against infectious risks	“Ventilation…helps to reduce the risk of infection of the patient especially within the hospital setting like where I’m working now.”
		“When the windows and doors are open, the one that can make you feel safer is ventilation because when they come in with a respiratory disease like TB you catering to that patient, the place need to be well ventilated and to open the windows so that good air can come in and bad air goes out.”
Lack of awareness of ventilation	Equating temperature control with ventilation	“I’m telling you now like I said previously—to improve ventilation, to you people now I will say, that we need AC.”
		“On my ward I have air cool, so it is not necessary for the windows and doors to be open.”
		“Actually I will love to see clean environment and all wards be properly ventilated by air conditions, standby fan, and electricity.”
Barriers to opening windows or doors	Privacy concerns	“Okay yes, when the windows are open you don’t have privacy for your patient, because everything that will be said in your assessment area, passerby will hear them, so sometimes we like to see our patients close door and say what between us.”
	Competition with air-conditioning	“Yes, right now we are not opening doors and windows because of the AC and fan.”
	Concerns over insects and other vermin	“Because, most often especially overnight, mosquitoes and other things you can’t open the window when you have babies.”
	Concerns over air pollution	“Air that is coming in windows and doors are all open air that is coming in is polluted, I will not feel safe to work in that kind of place.”
Suggestions to improve ventilation	Expansion of windows	“Expansion of windows by creating another window elsewhere.”
	Addition of window screens	“Like if the window have a screen all around it will prevent insects and other things from entering but just open window, harmful things will enter and it will not be safe.”