INTRODUCTION Several studies on HIV/AIDS in South Eastern region of Nigeria (Ezeokana and Nnedum 2007; Nnedum 2006; Smith 2007) suggest that economic hardship oils the wheel of HIV virus spread, undermines HIV prevention efforts and conditions individuals’ psyche to obsessive helplessness in cognitive, affective and behavioral desire to seek voluntary care for Highly Active Antire- troviral Therapy (HAART). Empirical evidence (Chacham et al. 2007; Cluver and Gardner 2007; Foster 2007; Nosyk Li et al. 2007; Smith 2007) suggests that HIV/AIDS is a disease of poverty. In South Eastern Nigeria, the increasing number of people living with HIV/AIDS lives in poverty, abject poverty to be precise (Nnedum 2006). It is apparent that in South Eastern regional states infested with severe HIV/AIDS epidemics, the overwhelming majority of those who are infected, afflicted and affected by HIV/AIDS are already living in severe poverty (Nnedum 2006; Smith 2007). Poverty is known to negatively affect all aspects of HIV prevention, clinical diagnosis, © Kamla-Raj 2009 J Soc Sci, 18(2): 137-142 (2009) The Effect of Economic Hardship on Antiretroviral Therapy among Patients with HIV/AIDS J. O. Ezeokana*, O. A. U. Nnedum* and S. N. Madu** *Department of Psychology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria **Department of Psychology, University of Limpopo, South Africa KEYWORDS Antiretroviral Therapy. Economic Hardship. Patients with HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS Disease . South Eastern Nigeria. Africa ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of economic hardship to individual’s ability to seek antiretroviral medication among patients with HIV/AIDS in a resource-poor country. A total of 77 patients residing in five marginalized communities of South Eastern region of Nigeria participated in a study that tested three hypotheses. Results indicated, that an inverse relationship exist of poverty status, household poverty, and Poor standard of Living, to individual’s ability to seek antiretroviral therapy among HIV/AIDS patients as predicted. Result suggests that economic hardship negates the ability of people living with HIV/AIDS One implication of our findings is that improvements in the continuity of care of patients with HIV/AIDS may be realized through further development of social assistance programs aimed at alleviating the poverty conditions leading to economic empowerment of patients with HIV/AIDS in resource poor countries to seek voluntary antiretroviral therapy. Socio- economic index of poverty were used to measure individuals’ economic hardship. treatment, care and control (Bond et al.2002; Brown et al. 2001). A cursory look at poverty as one of the plausibly possible contributing psychological factors to the development and spread of HIV/AIDS pandemic will be heuri- stically relevant and germane to our under- standing of the nature of HIV/AIDS pandemic. HIV/AIDS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA The HIV/AIDS disease has reached endemic proportions in some parts of Sub- Saharan Africa and there is a shift towards lower income, unskilled poor people being the worst victims (Williams and Ray 1993) , with an increasing number of people testing positive for HIV/AIDS in rural areas (Linville and Fischoff 1993; ZAINET 1993).Researches show the importance of recognizing that HIV/AIDS transmission is also influenced by a web of complex economic factors that shape understanding of HIV disease (Bond et al. 2002; Brown et al. 2001). Economic factors such as poverty is of particular importance to researchers, governments, faith based organiza- tions (FBO) and humanitarian agencies. HIV/AIDS and Poverty in Nigeria Nigeria has the third highest number of people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the world after South Africa and India (Kaiser Family 2007). The National HIV Sero-prevalence Contact Address: Prof. S. N. Madu, Department of Psychology, University of Limpopo, Turfloop Campus, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga 0727, South Africa Telephone/Fax: +27-15-2682318, E-mail: madus@ul.ac.za