Asians in Georgia need help fighting medical problems that affect some of them disproportionately. They also need more information about government programs that help small businesses.

Those were among the messages metro Asian-American leaders delivered last week to a panel appointed by President Bush.

The President's Advisory Commission on Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders met with community leaders in Atlanta and toured a bank, hospital and two nonprofits. It was part of a national tour to gauge issues in an Asian population that increased 72 percent around the country in the '90s, faster than any other major ethnic or racial group.

The 13-member commission includes two metro Atlanta members -- Baoky Vu, an investment banker originally from South Vietnam, and Sunny Park, a Sandy Springs businessman from South Korea.

The commission met at United Parcel Service headquarters Thursday with activists, including Lani Wong and Steve Choi, chairwoman and vice chairman of the Georgia Commission on Asian-American Affairs.

Community leaders told the commission some Asian groups have higher rates of cervical cancer, hepatitis and liver cancer than other racial and ethnic groups.

They urged more testing for the AIDS virus and better access to doctors. They also encouraged the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Department of Commerce to better explain programs for minority businesses.

The commission visited the Center for Pan-Asian Community Services, a nonprofit service center in Doraville, and Summit Bank, which has tellers who speak various Asian languages. Members also toured Children's Healthcare of Atlanta to learn about its outreach efforts in Asian communities. And they visited Good Shepherd Services, which has programs for immigrants and refugees, particularly those from Vietnam.