This protocol presented the methodology to be followed for four related systematic reviews on health financing strategies for health services in low and middle income countries. Three of these reviews have now been published as full reviews in CDSR (Lagarde 2009a; Lagarde 2009b; Lagarde 2011). A new protocol will be published for the fourth review on risk protection mechanisms when a review team is identifed. Therefore, this protocol has been withdrawn from the CDSR.