State and Federal governments will today launch a five-year plan to promote breastfeeding as a way to fight obesity and chronic disease.

The Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy will encourage mothers to avoid using the bottle at all for the first six months, in addition to launching a national breast milk bank.

Milk donated from nursing mothers at the bank would be fed to sick or premature babies.

The strategy will also aim to topple the social taboo related to breastfeeding and instead encourage its health benefits.

"The experts all agree that where possible, breast is best for babies and mothers and that every month of breastfeeding is a bonus for babies," South Australia Health Minister John Hill told the Advertiser.

A 2004 study said 92 percent of newborns were breastfed initially but the number had dropped to slightly more than half of babies at the three-month mark.

Breastfeeding has also been shown to reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.