The World Health Organisation (WHO) is calling on governments to make breastfeeding a policy priority in national development plans.

A recent Lancet study found that infants who were breastfed for at least one year went on to stay in school longer, score higher on intelligence tests, and earn more as adults than those who were breastfed for only a month.

The WHO says despite this evidence, just 38% of infants around the world today are breastfed exclusively for even the recommended first six months of life.

And while breastfeeding rates have increased in all regions of the world, it says global progress has stalled.

The World Health Assembly has set a global target of increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates for children under six months of age to at least 50% by 2025.

UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake and WHO director-general Margaret Chan say: "To achieve this ambitious and very important goal, we need to tackle all the barriers to breastfeeding."

"Governments should lead the charge by making breastfeeding a policy priority in national development plans, increasing resources for programming that supports breastfeeding, and working with communities and families to promote the full benefits of breastfeeding."

The theme of this year's World Breastfeeding Week is "Breastfeeding and Work - Let's make it work!".

The International Labour Organisation has adopted three Conventions to establish protective measures for pregnant women and new mothers - including the right to continue breastfeeding, and to promote feasible options for women who are outside formal work settings.

It comes just a day after Newstalk presenter Dil Wickremasinghe made headlines when she breastfed her son on live TV.