Four hundred newly discoyered patient s with active sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis were studied for in i tial drug resistance to some antituberculous dn.ags in Qualiobia governorate ( urban and n.a al areas). The initi'al resistance for streptomycin was 32.5.% , for isoniazide was 25%, for ethambutol was 17.5% , for rifampi cine was 12.='% and pyrazinamid e was 7.5%. The initial t•esistance to one dn.ag was 40% , to two dmgs was 211% and to three di1Jgs was 5% but no resistance was found to four or five dntgs. Th ere was uu l.tatistical relation between history of contact oa• extent of the lesion to the inddence of initial drug resistance. From this study it can be concluded that , the incidence of initial resistance to SM , INH, ETB, REM and PZA is incr casin . This is an alannin challenge hind ering tuhct-cttlu sis control prognun. It is highly recommended not to usc l'ifampicin, isnnia .i d or streptomycin except for bactiologically or pathologicall y proved cases of tuberculosi s in unlcr tu dcht)' th e d evelopm en t of initial resistance to them |