A United Nations report says more midwives in developing countries could save up to 3.6 million lives each year, particularly in Africa.

Researchers from the U.N. Population Fund found that nine countries, all but one of them in Africa, need to increase their number of midwives by a factor of six to 15. Those countries include Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan and Haiti.

The report was unveiled Monday during an international conference in Durban, South Africa.

Researchers surveyed 58 countries, which together account for nearly 60 percent of births worldwide and 92 percent of all maternal deaths.

The study found that 358,000 women die each year while pregnant or giving birth because of inadequate health care. Another 2 million newborns die within the first 24 hours of life, and 2.6 million are stillborn each year because of a lack of proper care.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “bold steps” are needed to ensure that every woman and newborn has access to quality midwifery services.

The study called on countries to train more health workers with midwifery skills, and to provide access to emergency facilities.