12 Historical Problems We Only Thought We’d Solved

It's been said that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Unfortunately, this saying has become all too real in recent years. We are seeing the return of a number of historical problems that we thought were long gone, and it's not a pretty sight. From the Black Death to outdated laws, from lead poisoning to modern slavery, these 12 issues have been around for centuries and, unfortunately, they are all back.

In this list, we will go through the 12 historical problems that are unfortunately making a comeback. From the resurgence of the Black Death to the rise of child labor, we will explore the causes of these issues and how they are impacting our world today. We will also look at what can be done to address these issues and how we can prevent them from becoming a bigger problem in the future.

So, without further ado, let's take a look at the 12 historical problems that, unfortunately, are coming back.

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12 Still killing, centuries later.

CRACKED BUBONIC PLAGUE The Black Death, AKA the biggest-ever bubonic plague outbreak, lasted for centuries, and it's estimated that it killed around 25 million people. It looked like the bubonic plague was gone, but it turns out a few people per year still get it. — ABC / PBS

11 Vaccines: Optional?

CRACKED POLIO In 2021, the number of kids getting vaccinated against polio dropped to its lowest level in 14 years, and the amount of outbreaks of a type of polio went up three times from 2019 to 2020, leading to more than 1100 children being paralyzed. cm THE topy THE UTH- — The Lancet / Polio Eradication

10 Outdated laws, deadly consequences.

CRACKED LETHAL НОМОРНОВІА In Kenya and Uganda, it is against the law to be in a same-sex relationship, and if you're caught, you could face the death penalty or a long jail sentence. — Aljazeera

9 Poland: Not so LGBT-friendly.

CRACKED INSTITUTIONALIZED LGBT DISCRIMINATION In 2020, lots of places in Poland declared themselves LGBT-free zones, which the European Union said was extremely wrong and-- shocker -- caused a lot of trouble for LGBT people in the country. — CNN

8 A bleak reality.

CRACKED CHILD LABOR The amount of kids doing work instead of going to school has gone up to 160 million around the world, which is 8.4 million more than four years ago. And because of the coronavirus, even more children are in danger of having to work. — Unicef / NY Times

7 Diphtheria: Back with a Vengeance.

CRACKED DIPHTHERIA Researchers are warning that diphtheria could become a major global threat again, as it develops resistance to antibiotics, and people's vaccination schedules are thrown off by the coronavirus pandemic. — Gavi

6 Armadillos: Not Just Cute Anymore.

CRACKED LEPROSY Leprosy is still around in the U.S., and it can be passed on from one person to another, as well as from touching armadillos or being in an area where they live. — AAD / NWF

5 Lead paint still poisoning the world.

CRACKED LEAD-BASED PAINT Lead-based paint is still being made and sold around the world, and in places like India, South-East Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe, the amount of lead in paint is often way too high - more than 10,000 mg/kg. This is a really serious health risk. — Science Direct / Retro Renovation

4 Smoking: Still a thing.

CRACKED THE SMOKING EPIDEMIC In 2018, the percentage of American adults who smoked cigarettes reached its lowest point ever, at 13.7%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, in 2020, cigarette sales went up for the first time in 20 years. — NY Times

3 Displaced and hungry.

CRACKED FAMINES By 2022, the most people ever recorded were displaced within their own countries, and almost all of them were living in places where there was a food shortage. — Relief Web / UN

2 Lead: Still Here.

CRACKED LEAD IN THE AIR Data on lead in London's air shows that sources of lead haven't changed much since the ban on leaded gasoline in 1999. This is probably because lead from gasoline sticks around for a long time and can easily be moved around. — PNAS / AirBNB

1 Modern slavery: 40.3 million and counting.

CRACKED SLAVERY It's estimated that right now, more people than ever before are living in slavery. The United Nations' International Labour Organization and the Walk Free Foundation say that 40.3 million people are affected. — The Guardian

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